Sabasports Match Preview
Italian Serie A: Venezia vs AS Roma
Kickoff Time: 2024-02-09 19:30 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo
Venezia is a newly promoted team in Serie A, but their overall strength is limited, and they have failed to show sufficient competitiveness. Currently, they sit in 19th place in the league, five points adrift of the relegation zone, putting them under significant pressure to avoid relegation. From the first half of the season, Venice has exposed issues with insufficient attacking power and weak defense, having scored only 22 league goals, averaging less than one goal per match, while conceding as many as 38 goals, averaging 1.65 goals conceded per match. Moreover, two key central defenders who helped the team get promoted, Michael Svoboda and Marin Sverko, are both on the injury list, forcing the team to restructure its defense. In the winter transfer window, Venezia failed to make significant signings and instead sold their top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo, which is a huge loss. The signings have primarily been loan deals, such as Napoli winger Alessio Zerbin and Genoa center-back Alessandro Marcandalli, but neither was a regular starter at their previous clubs, leaving doubts about their immediate impact. The arrivals of striker Daniel Fila and defensive midfielder Cheick Conde are promising gambles. Overall, Venice’s transfer activities resemble more of a “bargain hunting” approach, and achieving relegation survival may require a miracle.
After changing coaches, AS Roma has returned to form, achieving four wins and three draws in their last seven league matches. During this period, they drew with AC Milan and Napoli and defeated Lazio, making their results convincing. Thanks to the excellent integration skills of head coach Claudio Ranieri, Roma has gradually regained their competitiveness in the league and still hopes to challenge for a European competition spot next season. In the winter transfer window, Ranieri made basic reinforcements within a limited budget, bringing in right-back Devyne Rensch, center-back Victor Nelsson, left-back Anass Salah-Eddine, promising midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath, and backup goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. Clearly, Ranieri’s team-building strategy focuses on restructuring the defense. In terms of departures, players like Enzo Le Fee, Mathew Ryan, Mario Hermoso, and Nicola Zalewski were all backups, having little impact on the team. From recent matches, it is evident that Ranieri’s tactics emphasize counterattacking play. For instance, in the last league match, he rested key players Paulo Dybala, Leandro Paredes, and Mats Hummels from the starting lineup. More importantly, even when trailing 0-1 at halftime, Ranieri did not panic and only brought Dybala on in the final 10 minutes, ultimately helping the team create an opportunity to equalize.
After the winter transfer window, Venezia’s strength has declined rather than improved; moreover, with new signings in key positions, the players’ coordination is inevitably lacking, leading to visible mistakes. Under Ranieri’s management, Roma has restructured their tactics according to the personnel available, picking up their favored “defensive counterattack” strategy and emphasizing the team’s overall contribution, which has yielded immediate results. There is a clear disparity in strength and form between the two teams, and in this match, it is believed that Roma can secure an easy victory.
Venezia’s Last 5 Games: LDDLD
25-02-01 Udinese 3-2 Venezia
25-01-28 Venezia 1-1 Hellas Verona
25-01-19 Parma 1-1 Venezia
25-01-12 Venezia 0-1 Inter
25-01-04 Venezia 1-1 Empoli
AS Roma’s Last 5 Games: LDWWL
25-02-06 AC Milan 3-1 AS Roma
25-02-03 AS Roma 1-1 Napoli
25-01-31 AS Roma 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
25-01-26 Udinese 1-2 AS Roma
25-01-24 AZ Alkmaar 1-0 AS Roma
Head To Head Record:
24-09-29 AS Roma 2-1 Venezia
22-05-15 AS Roma 1-1 Venezia
21-11-07 Venezia 3-2 AS Roma
Prediction: AS Roma to win