A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:
ITALY
Hellas Verona and Sampdoria are desperate for wins to inch closer to safety in Serie A. Verona, which is five points below 17th-place Spezia, faces a tricky task as it hosts Lazio. Verona has lost only one of its five matches this year, and that was to Inter Milan. Lazio will be looking to bounce back from an Italian Cup loss at Juventus and needs the points to boost its Champions League hopes in a tight fight for the top four. Sampdoria is in penultimate position in Serie A, nine points from safety, and will be looking to end a five-match losing run when it visits Monza. Silvio Berlusconi’s Monza is unbeaten in its last six league matches and surprisingly won at Juventus in the last round.
SPAIN
Rayo Vallecano looks to stay close to the European places when it hosts Almería in the Spanish league. Vallecano will try to win its third match in four league games. A victory would move the southern Madrid club within three points of fourth-place Atletico Madrid just past the halfway point of the season. Almería is closer to the relegation zone but is coming off a win against Espanyol that ended its five-match winless streak in all competitions.
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