Hellas Verona 0 - 1 Udinese : Di Natale winner sees Udinese safe

Posted Monday, May 04, 2015 by PA

Udinese ensured they will compete in Serie A again next season after claiming a 1-0 victory at Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Antonio Di Natale came off the bench to score the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute.

Just two minutes before, the hosts lost defender Jacopo Sala to a red card for a late challenge on Udinese forward Cyril Thereau.

Thereau was unlucky not to double Udinese's lead in the 71st minute when his left-footed attempt hit the far post with Hellas goalkeeper Francesco Benussi rooted to the spot.

Hellas ended the game with nine men after Mexican defender Rafael Marquez was sent off following a red card for dissent in stoppage time.

The victory, Udinese's first on the road since January 26, has lifted the Friuli outfit 17 points clear of the drop zone. Cagliari, who are 18th, have no chance of overhauling them.

Hellas saw their three-match unbeaten run come to a halt and they are now level on 41 points with Udinese.

Thereau had a goal correctly disallowed for offside in the fifth minute.

In the 14th minute, the hosts were unlucky not to go in front when Panagiotis Tachtsidis' right-footed volley was denied by the crossbar with Udinese goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis already beaten.

Hellas almost broke the deadlock before the interval when Mounir Obbadi spotted an unmarked Nico Lopez in the area but the Argentinian striker sent his effort wide.

Udinese looked more dangerous after the re-start and in the 50th minute, Benussi kept out Thereau's close-range shot.

At the other end, Karnezis was called on to make a save to clear Lopez's goal-bound strike from 15 yards.

Hellas then lost Sala to a red card after the defender's late tackle on Thereau.

The hosts then fell behind when a stylish, back-heel flick from their captain Di Natale in the six-yard box after a pass from Silvan Widmer beat Benussi.

Thereau twice had the chance to double Udinese's lead.

First his bullet strike found the woodwork and shortly after Benussi made a vital save to deny the Frenchman.

Hellas nearly got a late equaliser.

In the 85th minute, Marquez's free-kick forced Kanezis into a full-stretch save and with one minute remaining, Udinese defender Ivan Piris made a goal-line clearance after Karnezis failed to hold on to Luca Toni's goal-bound shot.