Serie A: Hellas Verona Boost Survival Hopes with 1-0 Victory Over Udinese

Hellas Verona secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Udinese in Serie A, thanks to a stunning Ondrej Duda free kick, boosting their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Hellas Verona delivered a significant blow to Udinese's European ambitions, securing a surprise victory that bolstered their own hopes of Serie A safety. The decisive moment came courtesy of Ondrej Duda, who expertly curled a free kick past the Udinese defense, ending the Friulani's six-match unbeaten streak.

Udinese had been riding a wave of success, with four wins and two draws in their previous six matches, including impressive stalemates against Napoli and Lazio. However, their momentum was halted by Hellas Verona, who capitalized on Udinese's misfortune to claim a crucial victory. The Friulani were without several key players, including the suspended Hassane Kamara and injured trio Florian Thauvin, Razvan Sava, and Isaak Toure.

Duda's stunning free-kick gives Hellas Verona all three points! 😍#UdineseVerona #KeepRacismOUT pic.twitter.com/srfqZsLN3H

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 15, 2025

Hellas Verona also had to contend with injuries and suspensions, as Nicolas Valentini served a ban, while Flavius Daniliuc, Casper Tengstedt, Suat Serdar, and Abdou Harroui were all sidelined. Despite these challenges, both teams created early scoring opportunities, with Oumar Solet and Daniel Mosquera testing the goalkeepers. However, the match took a turn on 36 minutes when Thomas Kristensen was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for his clumsy challenge on Domagoj Bradaric.

The second half got off to a lively start, with substitute Kingsley Ehizibue making an immediate impact. He cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area, only to see it drift inches wide of the post. Verona continued to threaten, with Arthur Atta and Sandi Lovric also going close, the latter with a well-struck free kick that narrowly missed the target.

Ondrej Duda is the Panini Player of the Match for #UdineseVerona 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BFBDyxu5UQ

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 15, 2025

As the half wore on, Udinese began to exert more pressure in search of an equalizer. They created a series of scoring opportunities, but were unable to capitalize. Lorenzo Lucca and Ehizibue both failed to make the most of a Jordan Zemura cross, and Udinese's frustration grew. Despite their efforts, it was Verona who struck the decisive blow, courtesy of a sublime Ondrej Duda free kick.

Duda's strike was a moment of sheer brilliance, as he curled the ball over the wall and into the far top corner with his right foot. The goal gave Verona a hard-fought lead, and they were able to hold on despite Udinese's late attempts to equalize. In stoppage time, Arthur Atta's header from an Oumar Solet cross was weak and failed to trouble the Verona goalkeeper, securing a vital win for the hosts.