Veneziavs.Roma

The clubs clash at Stadio Penzo, with the Giallorossi having inched up the league table before suffering a midweek cup defeat; meanwhile, their hosts are deep in danger.

Match preview

Leaving just the Europa League as a possible route to silverware this season, Roma's latest Coppa Italia campaign ended on Wednesday, with a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan at San Siro.

Trailing by two goals at the break - both scored by Roma-owned striker Tammy Abraham - the capital club then pulled one back through Artem Dovbyk, but they were ultimately dumped out in the quarter-finals.

Interim coach Claudio Ranieri - who will lead his boyhood club until the end of the season - had previously enjoyed a successful return to the dugout, taking an ailing side up to ninth in the Serie A standings and securing progress in the Europa League.

Last week, Ranieri's men held league leaders Napoli to a 1-1 draw in the Derby del Sole, when another ex-Roma player, Leonardo Spinazzola, opened the scoring before Angelino - his successor as Roma's left-back - fired home a late leveller.

As a result, the Giallorossi are unbeaten in seven Serie A matches - after losing seven of the previous nine - and since Ranieri's return only Inter Milan have scored more goals.

While that represents their best league streak without defeat since 2022, then under Jose Mourinho, they have still won just once on the road all season.

That belated success finally came against Udinese late last month, after a streak of 13 away matches without a single win.

After losing September's reverse fixture 2-1 in Rome, conceding two second-half goals after taking the lead at Stadio Olimpico, Venezia are in desperate need of an unexpected victory this weekend.

Winless in 2025, the Lagunari are five points from safety, more than midway through their latest comeback campaign.

It could have been a very different story, as they have dropped the most points from winning positions of any club across Europe's top five leagues.

That tally reached 27 last week, after the Arancioneroverdi battled back from two goals down in Udine, inspired by a sublime free kick from set-piece specialist Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who has now scored three times from outside the box this season.

They ultimately suffered a 3-2 loss to Udinese, though, continuing a dismal record on the road - Venezia have yet to win away from home.

However, former Roma player and coach Eusebio Di Francesco has seen his team lose just one of their last five at Stadio Penzo, where their next two visitors are capital-city sides Roma and Lazio.

Venezia Serie A form:

L

D

L

D

D

L

Roma Serie A form:

D

W

D

W

W

D

Roma form (all competitions):

W

L

W

W

D

L

Team News

Set to rotate his squad between a midweek cup clash and next week's Europa League playoff against Porto, Claudio Ranieri may make a handful of changes on Sunday.

Artem Dovbyk should return to the starting XI, while Bryan Cristante and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini could also come back in - particularly as midfield fulcrum Manu Kone must serve a suspension.

Italy defender Gianluca Mancini is back after being banned for the Giallorossi's Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat; recent signings Devyne Rensch, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Anass Salah-Eddine are also available.

Venezia had an even busier end to the winter transfer window, in which they lost top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo to ambitious Serie B side Palermo. New arrival Daniel Fila will vie with John Yeboah and Christian Gytkjaer to replace the Finnish forward.

The Lagunari's absence list again features Michael Svoboda, Marin Sverko, Richie Sagrado, Alfred Duncan and Domen Crnigoj, but another significant name has now been added.

First-choice goalkeeper Filip Stankovic - an Inter loanee, who has impressed since taking over as number one - will be sidelined until next month, so Ionut Radu should deputise.

Venezia possible starting lineup:

Radu; Haps, Idzes, Cande; Zerbin, Perez, Nicolussi Caviglia, Busio, Ellertsson; Oristanio, Fila

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Cristante, Paredes, Angelino; Dybala, Pellegrini; Dovbyk

We say: Venezia 1-2 Roma

Although Venezia are becoming tougher to beat on home turf - and Roma have a woeful record on the road - the visitors should still prevail in Serie A's Sunday lunchtime kickoff.

The Giallorossi have found their shooting boots under Claudio Ranieri, so their hosts' leaky defence cannot hold out for 90 minutes.

Written by

Jonathan O'Shea

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