Gift Orban scored his seventh Serie A goal of the season, but it proved insufficient as Hellas Verona fell to a 3-1 defeat against Udinese on Monday night, extending their search for a first league win of 2026.
Verona, winless in their last six league outings, were hoping to halt their poor run against an Udinese side that had also failed to win their previous two matches.
The hosts started brightly but were stunned in the 23rd minute when Arthur Atta fired Udinese into the lead. The advantage lasted just three minutes, however, as Orban restored parity in the 26th minute with a well-taken finish that left his Nigerian compatriot, Maduka Okoye, helpless in goal.
Udinese regained the lead in the 58th minute through defender Alessandro Zanoli, before Keinan Davis ensured there was no way back for Verona by adding a third goal in the 67th minute.
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Orban’s strike took his tally to seven goals in 19 league appearances this season, but it was not enough to boost Verona’s fight against relegation, with the club currently sitting four points adrift of safety.
Verona will hope to end the month on a positive note when they travel to face Cagliari in their final fixture of January on the 31st. With 16 league games remaining, the Gialloblu must begin to pick up positive results if they are to avoid the drop.
Despite enjoying the bulk of possession, Verona struggled to threaten consistently, while Udinese were far more aggressive going forward. The Friulani registered 20 attempts on goal compared to Verona’s seven.
Okoye remained alert between the sticks, making three saves from four shots on target to help secure the win.
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