Juventus v Verona: Mandorlini seeking revenge for Coppa thrashing

Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini wants revenge for his side’s 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Juventus when the two meet again in Serie A.

Following a 6-1 thumping at the hands of Juventus in the Coppa Italia on Thursday, Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini is seeking revenge when the sides meet again in Serie A this weekend.

Juve raced into a 3-0 half-time lead in the last-16 clash, before adding three more goals in the second period as Massimiliano Allegri’s men completed the rout at Juventus Stadium.

Verona’s only reply came through Nene, and Mandorlini is keen for his players to put in an improved performance in the repeat fixture at the home of the Turin giants.

“The challenge of Sunday night? It will be another game, another story,” he said.

“The defeats are always defeats. Six goals are many but there is now an opportunity to take revenge. We think about about how we deal with Juventus again, because we will have to be different.

“We have to improve in the attitude and in certain game situations, where you need to be more solid.

“I hope to improve especially in terms of mentality. I think there is a spirit of revenge, especially when you lose like that.”

Away from their heavy Coppa defeat, 13th-placed Verona have showed positive signs in the league in recent weeks, with seven points from their last four outings following an eight-match winless run.

League leaders Juventus, meanwhile, have dropped points in uncharacteristic manner in each of their last two league games at home.

After 25 consecutive Serie A wins at Juventus Stadium, Allegri’s side have been held to 1-1 draws by both Sampdoria and Inter.

They remain unbeaten in nine league matches, but Allegri has warned that Sunday’s clash is unlikely to see a repeat of Juve’s dominance in the Coppa meeting.

“It’ll be a completely different game, as Verona generally concede very little,” he said. “We have to improve, as we conceded from a corner again.”

Influential midfielder Arturo Vidal missed Thursday’s game with a bout of tonsilitis and remains doubtful for the weekend, with Roberto Pereyra expected to start again in the event of the Chilean’s absence.