Udinese-Venezia: aiming to return to winning ways

Two important matches are in store in the relegation battle at 15:00 CET: Monza vs. Hellas Verona will be taking place at the same time as this fixture. The hosts have picked up three points from their last five matches, losing their last two against Como and Roma. They need to return to winning ways to avoid slipping further towards the relegation zone. Venezia, who currently sit second bottom, are four points from safety. After recent draws against Parma and Hellas, they need a victory to close the gap.

HEAD TO HEAD

Both sides have won four of the last 11 meetings between Udinese and Venezia in Serie A (D3). The lagoon players won the reverse fixture (3-2 at Penzo Stadium on 30/10) and have never achieved two successes in a row against the Friulians in the Italian top-flight. Udinese could become only the third opponent against which Venezia have won both seasonal Serie A matches in the post-war period, after Bologna in 2021/22 and Cagliari in 1998/99. Udinese are unbeaten in their five home games against Venezia in Serie A, winning the most recent three (D2); in general, only against Como (10), Piacenza (eight) and Novara (six) have the Friulians played more home matches without ever losing in the competition. Moreover, among the teams currently in the Italian top-flight, the Venetians are the opponent against which Udinese have the longest open streak of home victories (three).

DID YOU KNOW?

Udinese have not won any of their last five league games (D3 L2) their joint longest winless run under Kosta Runjaic (five consecutive games without success also between last October and December). They last went longer without a win under a single coach between November and December 2023 (six in that case, under Gabriele Cioffi). Venezia have won eight points in their last eight league matches (W1 D5 L2), as many as in all of their previous 14 matches in this Serie A campaign (W2 D2 L10). Furthermore, after the two draws in the two most recent matches (both 1-1 against Parma and Hellas Verona), they could collect three successive draws in Serie A for the first time since the period between March and April 1962 (four in that case). Venezia are the team that have dropped the most points from winning positions across the big five European leagues in 2024/25: 24, at least three more than any other. Udinese are also one of the teams, along with Empoli, to have not yet gained points from losing positions in Serie A this term

PLAYERS

Since the start of last season – his first in the Italian top-flight – Lorenzo Lucca has scored 16 goals in 58 appearances in the league, none from penalties; among the players who have not scored a single penalty goal over the last two Serie A campaigns, only Marcus Thuram (26) has scored more goals than Lucca (16, alongside Duván Zapata) in the tournament. Thanks to his goal against Hellas Verona, Alessio Zerbin (1st goal in Serie A) became the 2nd Italian player to score for Venezia in his first match as a starter in Serie A in the three points for a win era, after Maurizio Ganz against Lazio on 5 January 2000. Indeed, he was the Venetian player who attempted the most passes in the opposing midfield (13) and had the most touches in the opponent's box (five) last time out.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: Karlstrom (Udinese) Cautioned: Ehizibue, Giannetti (Udinese)

REFEREE

MARIANI (SCATRAGLI – GARZELLI) IV: TREMOLADA, VAR: MARINI, AVAR: DOVERI

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Venezia-Roma (Sunday 9 February, 12.30 CET) Napoli-Udinese (Sunday 9 February, 20.45 CET) (Photo Getty Images)