Regional rivals Venezia and Hellas Verona will clash at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Monday evening, with both embroiled in a battle for Serie A survival.
Stuck inside the drop zone, the Veneto clubs are separated by four points before kickoff, with Hellas sitting just above their hosts.
Match preview
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Venezia's mid-season revival - featuring a run of just two defeats in seven games - has seen last term's Serie B playoff winners edge a little closer to safety, though they remain five points adrift of 17th place.
Last time out, the Lagunari secured a 1-1 away draw with fellow promoted side Parma, as Joel Pohjanpalo converted a first-half penalty before the hosts struck back after the break.
Following Pohjanpalo's spot kick, Venezia have both the highest percentage of goals scored (58%) and conceded (41%) from set pieces this season, making each dead-ball situation a moment of interest.
While the Arancioneroverdi still have plenty of work to do if they are to secure top-tier survival, head coach Eusebio Di Francesco has kept his side in touch with a multi-team scramble going on just above them.
Once in charge of Monday's opponents, Di Francesco now comes face to face with his former club, against whom Venezia have a dismal record: they have won only one of their last 15 league matches versus Verona, and that sole success came back in 2004.
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Not surprisingly, then, Verona are unbeaten in seven Serie A clashes between the two clubs to date, claiming maximum points on all but one occasion.
Most notably, they defied the odds to win the most recent meeting at Stadio Penzo: a remarkable 4-3 victory in 2021 remains the only time in their top-flight history that Hellas have won after going three goals behind.
Verona boss Paolo Zanetti was in charge of Venezia that day, and shipping goals has proved a problem for his current side too: last week's 3-0 loss to Lazio took their goals-against average to 2.24 per game.
The Scaligeri have now conceded more than 45 at this stage of a season for the first time in Serie A, and that record represents the third-worst of any club so far this century.
Furthermore, Zanetti's men have failed to find the net in their last three matches, leaving them seeking both a first goal and first win of 2025 in the Derby del Veneto.
Team News
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Eusebio Di Francesco has several selection issues ahead of Monday's game, as Venezia's top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo is apparently close to joining ambitious Serie B side Palermo, while several defenders are sidelined by injury.
Michael Svoboda is out for the rest of the season, while fellow centre-backs Giorgio Altare (flexor) and Marin Sverko (muscular) are both doubts; wing-backs Antonio Candela and Ridgeciano Haps filled in last week and may be asked to do so again.
Richie Sagrado, Alfred Duncan and Domen Crnigoj are also unavailable, but recent arrivals Cheick Conde and Alessio Zerbin will both be in contention for their first start since signing.
Of all players to have made their Serie A debut this season, only Roma's Artem Dovbyk has scored more goals than Pohjanpalo and Verona striker Casper Tengstedt (both six), and the latter will lead his team's attack at Stadio Penzo.
Paolo Zanetti must shuffle his squad, as Ondrej Duda and Pawel Dawidowicz are suspended; Duda's absence could see Chelsea-linked midfielder Reda Belahyane return to the starting XI.
Once again, long-term absentees Martin Frese, Juan Cruz and Abdou Harroui are all ruled out by injury.
Venezia possible starting lineup:
Stankovic; Candela, Idzes, Haps; Zerbin, Ellertsson, Nicolussi Caviglia, Busio, Zampano; Oristanio; Pohjanpalo
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Magnani, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Serdar, Belahyane, Lazovic; Suslov; Sarr, Tengstedt
We say: Venezia 1-2 Hellas Verona
Verona (22) and Venezia (14) have conceded more goals than any other teams during the first half-hour this term, so some early action should be expected.
With both needing more than one point, it could be a wide-open contest at the hosts' iconic headquarters - and that might suit an erratic away side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
