FC Südtirol and Serie A club Hellas Verona drew 2-2 yesterday evening at the Drusus Stadium in Bolzano in their last major preparation match. In a match that was evenly balanced for long stretches, the duel served as a final acid test for both teams before the start of their respective championships.
In front of 2,122 spectators, the home side got off to the better start. Captain Daniele Casiraghi put FC Südtirol ahead in the 8th minute. Hellas Verona were unimpressed and increasingly took control of the game, but were unable to overcome the solid South Tyrolean defense until the break.
This changed immediately after the break when Giovane scored a deserved equalizer for the visitors in the 47th minute to make it 1:1. An open game then developed with numerous changes on both sides. Things got turbulent once again in the final stages: Firstly, substitute Raphael Kofler put FCS back in front in the 83rd minute. However, Hellas Verona showed their character and found a prompt response through Frese, who made it 2:2 just two minutes later (85').
The match provided valuable insights for both coaches Fabrizio Castori (FCS) and Paolo Zanetti (Hellas Verona). The result reflects an intensive test in which both teams proved to be well prepared for the upcoming start of the season.
