Hellas Verona vs Parma preview - Donadoni: We need to be up for it

Posted Saturday, January 10, 2015 by PA

Parma coach Roberto Donadoni has urged his players to show the same determination that saw them beat Fiorentina in the last round when they visit Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Andrea Costa's solitary goal handed Parma a 1-0 home triumph on Tuesday and allowed Donadoni to breathe a big sigh of relief.

The win was Parma's first since Novembb er 1 and their third of the entire season.

Moreover, for the third time this season Parma kept a clean sheet.

"It was really important to start 2015 on the right foot," Donadoni told the Italian media. "This is a golden victory for us.

"The win was down to the tenacity of my players, who are not willing to accept our current low position in the standings.

"I'm very happy with their performance and the fighting spirit they showed throughout the game.

"It's true that our position in the standings has not improved much with this win is a first step in our battle to avoid the drop."

Parma are 19th in the standings, level on nine points with bottom-side Cesena.

The Ducale club are seven points adrift of safety and return to Verona this weekend the city where they last tasted victory on the road - a 3-2 triumph at Chievo on September 21.

Parma will be bolstered by the return of defender Fabiano Santacroce and midfielder Daniele Galloppa from suspension for the encounter in Verona.

Rivals Hellas will be nowhere near full strength this weekend with coach Andrea Mandorlini facing a nightmare scenario in midfield.

Hellas are without suspended midfielder Emil Hallfredsson and Hugo Campanharo while midfield trio Artur Ionita, Mounir Obbadi, and Bosko Jankovic are out injured.

"Our main aim is to recover some of our injured players as soon as possible," Mandorlini said. "We are struggling with injuries and we could have done without the suspensions of Campanharo and Hallfredsson."

Hellas have won just one of their last 11 league games and their goalless draw at Empoli last time out dropped the Verona outfit to 15th place.