Aiming to pick up where they left off before the international break, Serie A high-flyers Bologna will visit Venezia on Saturday.
The Rossoblu head for Stadio Penzo following four wins on the spin, while their relegation-haunted hosts have just posted four straight draws.
Match preview
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Although Venezia bravely denied Scudetto chasers Napoli maximum points in their most recent outing, largely thanks to the heroics of backup goalkeeper Ionut Radu, they stayed stuck inside the drop zone with games fast running out.
Without a clear first-choice striker since the departure of former captain Joel Pohjanpalo, the Lagunari have scored just once in their last six matches, failing to win any and drawing all of the last four.
Struggling to retain their top-flight status, which was earned by winning the Serie B playoffs last season, Eusebio Di Francesco's side have failed to taste success since beating Cagliari in December.
As a result, Venezia sit second-bottom of the table, five points from the safety of 17th place - and with only nine rounds remaining.
After failing to find the net in their last three home games - against Roma, Lazio and Napoli - the Arancioneroverdi must continue their tough run of fixtures at Stadio Penzo by hosting Bologna.
When the teams met earlier this season in Emilia-Romagna, the Venice side suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat, and a repeat result would hit their hopes of defying the drop in May.
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That November success at Stadio Dall'Ara featured two goals from Dan Ndoye, and the Swiss winger was on target again as Bologna extended their recent winning run in some style last time out.
A stellar second-half display saw the Rossoblu dismantle fellow top-four contenders Lazio, with four other players joining Ndoye on the scoresheet in an eye-catching 5-0 win.
Bologna have scored 24 Serie A goals in 2025 - at least four more than any other team this year - and such firepower has helped them revive dreams of returning to the Champions League.
After exiting at the league phase this term, the Emilian club are keen to book their spot in next season's competition - and they are currently on course to do so.
With several big teams struggling to match expectations, Vincenzo Italiano's men now occupy fourth place, having racked up four consecutive league wins for the first time in a year.
Not only could Bologna finish inside Italy's top five in back-to-back seasons for the first time since their golden era of the mid-1960s, they also still have a chance of claiming some silverware.
With a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final against Serie A strugglers Empoli coming up next month, it might be a memorable end to the campaign for fans of the Felsinei.
Team News
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Though Venezia can recall John Yeboah following suspension, midfield mainstay Hans Nicolussi Caviglia must now serve a one-match ban - and the hosts are still missing their first-choice goalkeeper.
Joining Richie Sagrado, Mirko Maric, Marin Sverko and Michael Svoboda on the sidelines, Inter Milan loanee Filip Stankovic is ruled out by a knee injury, so Ionut Radu will continue to deputise.
Since making his first league appearance of the season in early February, Radu has conceded just four goals and collected three clean sheets in six games; during that spell, he has made the most saves (26) of any Serie A stopper.
Meanwhile, misfiring forwards Yeboah, Daniel Fila, Christian Gytkjaer and Gaetano Oristanio will fight it out for selection up front.
Bologna will be without the focal point of their attack this weekend, as Santiago Castro - who has just celebrated his first senior Argentina call-up - is suspended.
Thijs Dallinga should step in, and he will have plenty of support from the likes of Dan Ndoye, Jens Odgaard, Nicolo Cambiaghi and top scorer Riccardo Orsolini, the latter of whom recently reached double figures for a third consecutive Serie A season.
Ahead of Tuesday's Coppa Italia semi-final, Vincenzo Italiano has some selection issues to resolve all across the pitch, as only full-backs Lorenzo De Silvestri and Charalampos Lykogiannis are unavailable due to illness or injury.
Venezia possible starting lineup:
Radu; Schingtienne, Izdes, Cande; Zerbin, Busio, Duncan, Perez, Ellertsson; Oristanio, Fila
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Calabria, Beukema, Casale, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Dallinga
We say: Venezia 1-2 Bologna
Venezia may have tightened up in recent times, but Bologna's league matches this year have seen no fewer than 37 goals - a Serie A high for 2025.
The visitors might have had their rhythm disrupted by international football's intervention - and they could have half an eye on an upcoming cup semi-final - but that should not stop them from claiming all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
