This match has seen many legends of Italian soccer jump onto the field to represent the home team. Examples include Vincenzo Italiano, Jorginho, Alberto Gilardino, and Luca Toni. It has also produced many unforgettable results despite the head-to-head record being heavily skewed in favor of The Devil. However, the Gialloblù can boast about having pressured them in many encounters. It can also boast about being the Venetian team that has achieved the most victories over Milan.
The last ten encounters between the teams have been brutal for the hosts of this match. AC Milan won nine of those games and tied one. If instead the last 15 matches were included, then Milan would've won 11 games, lost two, and tied two. Milan's last defeat to Verona occurred in 2017, a full seven years ago.
The last meeting between both teams was in March 2024 during the 2023/24 season the Gialloblù's home. Of course, it ended with Milan's victory (3-1 in favor of the Rossoneri). However, it was the way the match unfolded that makes it easy to foresee and predict.
The match was lost for AC Milan from the start. They controlled the pace of the game at all times while Verona fans cheered their team and booed them to destabilize them. They almost had a perfect start within minutes when Fikayo Tomori sent a delivery from Theo Hernández inches from the post. They came close midway through the second half, but an impressive save by Lorenzo Montipò deflected Noah Okafor's acrobatic effort onto the crossbar.
Christian Pulisic shook the VAR minutes later with another stunner, which calmed the local fans who began biting their nails and crossing their fingers. The visitors finally reaped the rewards of their dominance on the stroke of halftime. A tenacious Theo Hernández broke free from two markers to pass the ball over Montipò, already beaten. They went into the break with this advantage but didn't take long to score again.
Noah Okafor was denied again, but goalkeeper Montipò's interventions could only push the Swiss international's efforts into the path of Pulisic, who was unmarked, and converted Milan's second.
The game opened up once that goal went in. With 30 minutes to play, Tijjani Noslin unleashed an absolute thunderbolt from 25 yards that flew into the corner of Mike Maignan's goal to create a nervous finish to the game. Rafael Leão had the chance to score Milan's third but shot widely before Nigerian forward Samuel Chukwueze made up for his miss with a volley from the edge of the area.
Things are very different for both teams in the league this time. However, the history behind both teams dominates in this clash, which kicks off week 17 of the Italian Serie A 2024/25.
Continue reading for information on match tickets, team news, predictions on starting elevens, and result predictions for this clash.
Match Tickets
The Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, home of Hellas Verona, will host this match on December 20, 2024. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8:45 p.m., U.K. time.
Hellas Verona vs AC Milan Tickets are on sale for the game on both clubs' websites. They can also be obtained on their other official channels and partner platforms.
The 31,045-seat stadium (the eighth largest in Italy) is expected to be filled with fans and dignitaries that day. This means that fans who want a seat for the match will need to express their interest well in advance to purchase their tickets.
Additionally, many top-tier leagues across Europe allocate tickets to fans through a voting system that depends on fans' early entries.
The other option fans have to get tickets for the match is to visit ticket resale platforms. These platforms connect fans with each other so that those with tickets for sale can get the money directly from another fan to give up their matchday seats. This works best for non-local fans, who will have to go through the stress of registering on either club's website to join a waiting list for a vote.
Team News
Ondrej Duda is expected to return to training on December 16 with Hellas Verona, but his participation in the match is in doubt. He tore a muscle in his thigh the week after the November international break. The injury itself is not as difficult to heal as many others. However, he will need a lot of rehabilitation to be able to play professionally again.
Verona's medical staff are on the case, as they were with Martín Frese and Juan Manuel Cruz since October and August, respectively. These last two will return to training in January so their coach can have the full team for the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi are the only long-term absentees for AC Milan this season. However, they will be concerned about Luka Jovic. He had to undergo surgery on his injured groin before week 13 and will only be available from December 23, 2024. Fortunately, they have Tammy Abraham and Noah Okafor who can play in that position.
Lineups
Here are our predictions for the starting elevens of both teams.
Hellas Verona: Montipò; Magnani, Bradaric, Daniluc; Belahyane, Serdar, Tchatchoua, Harrow, Dawidowicz; Tengstedt, Mosquera.
AC Milan: Primos; Pavlovic, Hernández, Thiaw, Emerson; Chukwueze, Fofana, Reijnders; Camarda, Leão, Pulisic.
Prediction
History points to an AC Milan victory. Nine wins in the last ten and 11 wins in the last 15 suggest a thrashing awaits the Gialloblù. This means that Hellas Verona Ticket holders and AC Milan ticket holders are just spending their hard-earned euros just to enjoy a live soccer match in a charismatic stadium.
Soccer is an unpredictable sport. Now, only a miracle and a tactical error by Paulo Fonseca or a tactical masterclass by Paolo Zanetti will change the evident outcome. Hellas Verona will lose at home to The Devil once again.
Milan 3 - 1 Hellas Verona