Venezia: In Search of Crucial Points
Venezia finds itself in a difficult situation, sitting near the bottom of the table and five points away from the safety zone. Eusebio Di Francesco’s team has yet to win in 2025 and desperately needs a positive result to boost their survival chances.
One of the team’s biggest issues is their lack of composure in key moments, as evidenced by the fact that they have dropped 27 points from winning positions—the most of any club in Europe’s top five leagues.
Their last match against Udinese showcased both their strengths and weaknesses. Despite mounting a comeback from two goals down with a brilliant free-kick from set-piece specialist Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, they ultimately suffered a 3-2 defeat. Adding to their woes, Venezia is still winless away from home this season, though they have lost only one of their last five home matches.
Another major setback is the departure of top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo, who has moved to ambitious Serie B side Palermo. His absence will surely be felt in attack, and his replacement will need to adapt quickly. New signing Daniel Fila could be given a chance, while experienced striker Christian Gytkjaer might take on a bigger role.
A significant blow for the team is the injury to first-choice goalkeeper Filip Stankovic. The Inter Milan loanee has been impressive this season, but with him sidelined until next month, Ionut Radu is expected to deputize in goal.
Roma: A Return to Form Under Ranieri
Roma has regained stability under Claudio Ranieri and is back in contention for European spots. Despite their recent Coppa Italia exit at the hands of AC Milan (3-1), their focus now shifts to Serie A and the Europa League.
The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their last seven league matches, marking their best streak since 2022. Their biggest issue for most of the season has been poor performances away from home, but they recently ended a 13-match winless away streak with a crucial victory against Udinese last month.
Ranieri is expected to make some rotations, given Roma’s tight schedule and their upcoming Europa League playoff against Porto. Artem Dovbyk should return to the starting lineup, while Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante are likely to reclaim their spots in midfield. Manu Kone is suspended, but Gianluca Mancini is back from suspension and available in defense.
Roma heavily relies on Paulo Dybala and Pellegrini, who will be crucial in creating attacking chances. Additionally, the arrivals of Devyne Rensch, Lucas Gourna-Douath, and Anass Salah-Eddine have strengthened their squad depth.
Betting Tips
- Roma to win (2) – Odds around 1.70
Despite their away struggles, Roma has improved and is a stronger team than Venezia, who have been weakened by the departure of their top scorer and the injury to their first-choice goalkeeper. - Total goals 2-3 – Odds around 1.90
Venezia struggles with scoring, and while Roma has improved, they still don’t dominate on the road. A controlled match with 2-3 goals is expected. - Roma to score 2+ goals – Odds around 1.80
Roma has been in good attacking form, while Venezia has defensive issues. The visitors are likely to capitalize and score at least two goals.
Conclusion
Roma enters this match as the clear favorite and has a chance to extend their unbeaten run in the league. Venezia is struggling and dealing with multiple squad problems but could still offer some resistance at home. However, Roma’s experience and overall quality should be enough to secure the win.
