The picturesque Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo in Venice will host a crucial Serie A encounter on Wednesday evening as struggling Venezia welcome high-flying Udinese. This match presents a stark contrast between two sides experiencing vastly different fortunes in the early stages of the 2024/25 campaign.
Venezia, last season’s Serie B playoff winners, find themselves mired in the relegation zone after a disappointing start to life back in the top flight. With just five points from nine matches, the Lagunari sit 19th in the table, desperately seeking a turnaround in form.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side has managed just one victory this season, coming at home. Their most recent outing saw them squander a lead twice in a 2-2 draw against fellow strugglers Monza, despite having a man advantage late in the game.
Goals have been hard to come by for Venezia, particularly at the Stadio Penzo where they’ve netted just twice in three fixtures. The team will be looking to their top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo to provide the spark in attack.
In stark contrast, Udinese have been one of Serie A’s surprise packages this season. Under new head coach Kosta Runjaic, the Friulani have transformed from last year’s relegation battlers into genuine European contenders.
With 16 points from nine matches, Udinese find themselves level with established sides like Lazio, Atalanta, and Fiorentina in the top seven. They sit just six points behind early league leaders Napoli.
Unlike their opponents, Udinese have had no trouble finding the back of the net. Lorenzo Lucca has been particularly impressive, notching four league goals and attracting interest from several of Italy’s top clubs.
Venezia’s hopes may rest on the shoulders of Joel Pohjanpalo. The Finnish striker will need to be at his best to breach an Udinese backline that has been solid for much of the season.
The battle in the center of the park could prove decisive. Venezia’s Duncan and Nicolussi Caviglia will aim to disrupt the rhythm of Udinese’s Lovric and Zarraga.
Keeping Lorenzo Lucca quiet will be paramount for the Venezia defense. The young Italian striker has been in red-hot form and will be eager to add to his goal tally.
Expect Venezia to adopt a cautious approach, looking to frustrate Udinese and hit on the counter-attack. The home side may employ a 4-3-3 formation with Pohjanpalo leading the line, supported by Oristanio and Busio.
Udinese are likely to be more adventurous, utilizing their attacking talents in a 3-5-2 system. The combination of Lucca and either Davis or Bravo up front could cause problems for the Venezia defense.
Team News
Di Francesco may have Bjarki Bjarkason available again after injury, but Marin Sverko remains sidelined. The manager could opt for some rotation with a tough match against Inter Milan looming on the weekend.
The visitors will be without injured forwards Alexis Sanchez and Florian Thauvin, though the latter has an outside chance of making the squad. Thomas Kristensen is Udinese’s only other absentee, giving Runjaic plenty of options for rotation.
Expected Starting XIs
Venzia: Stankovic; Candela, Svoboda, Idzes; Zampano, Duncan, Nicolussi Caviglia, Ellertsson; Busio, Oristanio; Pohjanpalo
Udinese: Okoye; Kabasele, Bijol, Toure; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Zarraga, Zemura; Bravo, Lucca
Match Prediction
While Udinese’s away form has been less impressive than their home performances, they enter this match as favorites. However, Venezia showed signs of improvement in their last outing and will be desperate for points.
The contrasting fortunes and styles of these two teams could lead to an intriguing encounter. Udinese’s firepower may prove too much for Venezia’s struggling defence, but the hosts could make things difficult in front of their home crowd.
A narrow 2-1 victory for Udinese seems the most likely outcome, but don’t be surprised if Venezia manage to snatch a point in what promises to be a closely-fought contest.
Prediction: Venezia 1-2 Udinese
