Hellas Verona vs Udinese preview - Mandorlini backing Toni for prize

Hellas Verona boss Andrea Mandorlini is backing Luca Toni to finish the season as Serie A's top scorer now top-flight survival is mathematically assured.

The veteran striker brought up his 18th goal of the current campaign to earn Verona a point from a 1-1 draw at Sampdoria and, with five games remaining, Juventus hitman Carlos Tevez is only two goals away in the charts.

Hellas return to the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi to host Udinese on Sunday and Mandorlini is asking his players to support Toni in his bid to become 'Capocannoniere'.

"We talked before the Samp game about whether he felt ready to take to the field again," said Mandorlini of his 37-year-old frontman. "He really wanted to get out there.

"He then produced a great all-round performance, scored, and drove the team forward. It's hard to find adjectives to describe it. Young players should follow his example.

"He's now two goals off Tevez, but we still have a lot of opportunities and games in which we can help him fight for the title of 'Capocannoniere'.

"The team must work even harder to help this amazing man, this amazing player, to become the top scorer in Serie A at his age.

"It really would be the icing on the cake this season."

Artur Ionita, Emil Hallfredsson, Bosko Jankovic, Juanito Gomez and Rafael remain injured while visitors Udinese are without Maurizio Domizzi and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu following their dismissals against Inter Milan.

The Bianconeri ran the Nerazzurri close on Tuesday night but were never going to take a point having lost two players to red cards and following the 2-1 defeat, Udinese president Giampaolo Pozzo railed against the officials.

"The referee (Gianluca Rocchi) is always a good referee," said Pozzo. "I don't know what came over him, some sort of mania?

"He did everything he did to ruin a game in which we had a chance, in which we were having fun.

"I'm surprised by his desire to take centre stage - it just escalated things.

"Perhaps Badu did deserve red but that's only because of the referee's conduct."

Udinese have lost two of their last five meetings with Hellas in Verona.