Wednesday’s Serie A clash between Venezia and Inter has all the makings of a ‘David vs Goliath’ contest as the division’s last side encounters the high-flying reigning champions. The teams head into proceedings in starkly contrasting spirits after the weekend.
Despite beating Napoli 1-0 in their last home outing, Venezia failed to build on their first win of the season as they found themselves on the receiving end of the same scoreline away to Genoa on Saturday. New manager Davide Nicola may have won on his touchline debut, but steering the Winged Lions away from the foot of the table could prove a Herculean task.
Except for that shocking victory over Napoli, Venezia have lost all seven remaining league fixtures this season. However, they commence this midweek round only a point adrift of 17th-placed Udinese, meaning another unlikely win here could lift them out of the bottom three.
Unlike their out-of-sorts hosts, Inter enjoyed another successful weekend. Serie A’s ‘comeback specialists’ lived up to their reputation on Sunday, with stoppage-time goals from Marcus Thuram and Piotr Zielinski propelling them to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fiorentina.
There’s no room for complacency at San Siro, even though Cristian Chivu’s men sit at the table’s summit heading into this matchday. Sitting above Lazio on goal difference alone, the Nerazzurri can ill-afford a slip-up at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo if they’re to stay there before next weekend’s Milan derby.
Match Preview
Venezia
Nicola’s winning start quickly faded away as Venezia slumped to their eight defeat in nine competitive matches this term (W1), failing to get on the scoresheet for the second time in their last four. In addition to their well-documented scoring woes, the Winged Lions have been notoriously prone to conceding in abundance, capitulating at least twice in seven of those eight losses.
Against this backdrop, Venezia have been relatively solid at the back when playing on home turf, conceding one goal or fewer in 11 of their last 16 Serie A outings at the Pier Luigi Penzo. After beating Napoli in their most recent game here, they could win back-to-back top-flight home matches to nil for the first time since 1967.
However, Venezia’s upcoming opponent cannot be more formidable. Since their last competitive win over Inter back in October 1999, Venezia have managed just one draw in eight meetings with the Nerazzurri (L7), losing the last five in a row by an aggregate score of 11-2.
Inter
Inter once again demonstrated their unrivaled fighting spirit last weekend, as they’ve now won a whopping 13 points from losing positions this season! Except for a 2-2 draw at Roma last month, Chivu’s charges have won their remaining four league fixtures when conceding the opening goal, meaning it’s impossible to write them off at any point.
That’s largely thanks to their free-firing frontline that’s bagged a league-high 23 goals, at least four more than any other side in the division. Given Venezia’s current situation, this should be a walk in the park for the Nerazzurri, who are chasing four consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time this season.
Yet, the defending champions would be well-advised not to take anything for granted, considering their recent slump on the road. Indeed, Inter have won just two of their last five away matches (D2, L1), keeping just one clean sheet during that sequence.
Team New
Venezia boss Nicola cannot call upon Marin Sverko, Bartol Franjic, and Andrea Adorante for this high-stakes fixture, while wingback Thierry Correia remains a fitness doubt. All eyes will be on the club’s record signing, Akor Adams, who has tallied two goals in his last four appearances.
On the other hand, Inter will take this trip without long-term absentees John Stones, Curtis Jones, and Benjamin Pavard. Luis Henrique and Lautaro Martinez are also on the sidelines, with Francesco Pio Espostio expected to take the latter’s place in attack and partner up with Thuram.
Venezia vs Inter Potential Starting Lineups
Venezia (3-5-2): F. Stankovic; Schingtienne, Halhal, Moreno; Hainaut, Perez, Basic, Sohm, Haps; Yeboah, Adams.
Inter (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Augusto; Spence, Sucic, A. Stankovic, Zielinski, Dimarco; Bonny, Esposito.
Venezia vs Inter Prediction
It would take a ‘once in a lifetime’ miracle for Venezia to knock Inter off their perch, with the Nerazzurri set to take the field amid their best Serie A start since 2017. Although the hosts desperately need to catch a break, this should be another day in the office for Chivu’s high-performing side.
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