Preview: Venezia vs Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Following yet another setback in Europe, Napoli aim to post an increasingly rare away win when they visit rock-bottom Venezia on Saturday.

The Partenopei will head to Stadio Penzo just days after losing in Spain, while their hosts have lost six out of six in Serie A and are now under new management.

Match preview

Having made very little impact last season, when they failed to even get through the league phase, Napoli's new Champions League campaign seems to be heading the same way, with no points from two games so far.

After tamely losing 1-0 at home to Arsenal on the opening matchday, Max Allegri's men succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against Villarreal on Tuesday: they seized an early lead through Amir Rrahmani, only to concede twice within the next 20 minutes, then again in the closing stages.

Without time to reflect, they must return to domestic matters, with Allegri still struggling to convince his many doubters - even if results in Serie A have begun to improve. 

Before the international break, Napoli beat Bologna and picked up a point away to Fiorentina, and they returned with a 3-0 defeat of in-form Frosinone. 

Kevin De Bruyne bagged a brace at Stadio Maradona, where the Campanian club are always more comfortable, but they must now head back out on the road.

Napoli tend to struggle on their travels - for example, losing seven of their last eight European away games - but defeat in Venice is almost unthinkable.

© Imago / Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Venezia have won just two of their 16 Serie A matches against Napoli, with the most recent win dating back to 1942 - a 4-1 victory at the Penzo.

Having returned to Italy's top tier this summer, there was hope that the Lagunari could avoid the familiar fate of relegation, but such optimism has already started to fade.

Alongside Borussia Monchengladbach, they are one of only two teams still without a point across Europe's top 10 leagues - conceding at a rate of nearly three per goals per game has not helped.

Also out of the Coppa Italia, Venezia are stuck at the foot of the table and lie four points adrift of their closest rivals. 

So, after last week's 3-1 loss to Atalanta - in which they went three down within half an hour - Giovanni Stroppa was sacked.

Survival specialist Davide Nicola is the new man in charge, but keeping last term's Serie B champions afloat will be one of his toughest tasks yet. 

Venezia Serie A form:

Venezia form (all competitions):

Napoli Serie A form:

Napoli form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / Giuseppe Maffia

Though Scott McTominay made his first start for several weeks on Tuesday evening - and Frank Anguissa, Mathias Olivera and Alisson Santos have all resumed full training - Napoli are still missing several men.

Injury-prone winger David Neres has just joined Alessandro Buongiorno, Antonio Vergara and Costantino Favasuli on the sidelines, after straining a muscle against Villarreal.

If asked to start for the third time in eight days, De Bruyne will try to score in consecutive league appearances for the first time since October 2022. Having finally found some match-fitness, the Belgian star has been involved in seven goals across his last 10 games for club and country.

It remains to be seen whether Nicola opts for major surgery on Venezia's lineup, having been brought in at very short notice.

The well-travelled coach will surely aim to get more out of club-record buy Akor Adams, who has scored just one league goal so far.

More impressively, wing-back Antoine Hainaut has three goal involvements this season, as well as posting the most crosses from open play throughout Serie A.

The hosts also have a long absence list, featuring Marin Sverko, Bartol Franjic, Andrea Adorante and captain Gianluca Busio. Furthermore, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Thierry Correia and Napoli loanee Pasquale Mazzocchi are all fitness doubts.

Venezia possible starting lineup:

Stankovic; Moreno, Jesus, Schingtienne; Hainaut, Sohm, Basic, Perez, Sagrado; Yeboah, Adams

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Rrahmani, Marin, Badiashile; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, Lang; Hojlund

We say: Venezia 0-2 Napoli 

Although Napoli are generally much weaker on their travels, they can surely make the most of Venezia's woes.

The hosts will have to wait at least one more week for a 'new-manager bounce', as Nicola's latest survival assignment is set to start in defeat.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.