The Italian side beat the Warriors 27-8 at a rainswept Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi at the end of November and this repeat result was good enough to secure a club-record third win and ensure them of their most successful tournament campaign.
 
Worcester Warriors had been undefeated in 12 games against Italian opposition but have now lost successive contests to a buoyant Zebre.
 
And the Italian club made the more positive start with Ulrich Beyers on target with a 10th minute penalty goal and left wing Kayle Van Zyl crossing for a try minutes later, Kelly Haimona adding the conversion.
 
The Warriors did respond with hooker Luke Baldwin going over to open their account, Andy Symons adding the extra points, before French referee Thomas Charabas dispatched a player from each side to the sin bin.
 
Worcester’s Huw Taylor was first to depart for a 10-minute break – Haimona rubbing sale into home wounds with the penalty – and then Dion Berryman joined him as each side was temporarily reduced to 14.
 
Tiff Eden saw his drop goal effort fail to hit the mark but Worcester, six points adrift at the break, cut the deficit soon after the restart with a Symons penalty goal before the inevitable rush of replacements from both benches.
 
 Edoardo Padovani restored Zebre’s six-point advantage as the contest went into the final quarter but Jean Cook did not help the visitor’s case when he became their second player shown a yellow card.
 
Padovani failed with another penalty goal chance – and a drop goal attempt – with the minutes ticking away and the yellow cards tally was evened up when Darren O'Shea left the Warriors a man down for the second time.
 
Padovani punished them with a penalty that left the Warriors two scores adrift – though Dean Hammond gave the Warriors a glimmer of hope with an unconverted 75th minute try.
 
But Padovani wrapped things up for the Italians with a final penalty that killed off any lingering Worcester hopes of a comeback.