Will the coaching change shake the Leoni Alati awake?
Serie A champion Venezia FC had certainly imagined its return to Serie A differently. However, after losing all six of their first league matches, the club’s management lost patience and fired Giovanni Stroppa on Tuesday—a move that, of course, strongly influences our Venezia vs. Napoli prediction.
There are growing indications that Davide Nicola will take over; for him, this would be his fifth coaching stint in just three years, following stints at Salernitana, Empoli, Cagliari, and Cremonese. Regardless of who is on the bench on Saturday, however, the Leoni Alati (the Winged Lions) are expected to put up a fight.
Meanwhile, SSC Napoli under Massimiliano Allegri is also struggling. The Partenopei are currently in eighth place and have also lost both their Champions League opener against Arsenal (0–1) and Tuesday night’s away match at Villarreal (1–3). Thus, the Venezia vs. Napoli prediction of an away win for the Azzurri in the lagoon city is anything but a sure thing.
We therefore advise against the three-way system and are instead betting on over 2.5 goals being scored. Although they’ve lost all six league games, the Venetians have at least already scored five goals, while Napoli also boasts the fifth-best offense in Serie A with ten goals to their name.
It’s clear that something needs to change at Venezia FC after six losses in six games. We’re firmly expecting a reaction. Whether this will result in a home win—especially given their defense, which has been so porous so far—remains to be seen. However, we could very well imagine the Leoni Alati taking at least a 1-0 lead in front of their home crowd.
Venezia – Napoli Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-Head: 4 – 14 – 10
A total of 28 matches have taken place between the two teams so far, and half of all games have ended in a draw. Of the other 14 games, ten went to the Partenopei and only four to Venezia FC, which has now gone six matches without a win against SSC Napoli (three draws, three losses).
Venezia – Napoli Prediction
Following a disastrous start with zero points, a new era is now beginning in the Italian lagoon city. Giovanni Stroppa was forced to step down, partly due to the team having already conceded 16 goals. Against SSC Napoli—who arrive at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo carrying plenty of Champions League frustration after losing 1–3 to Villarreal on Tuesday night—the team now aims to turn things around.
That’s not entirely out of the question. While Busio may return from injury for the Leoni Alati, Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri is missing several key players, including Buongiorno, Olivera, and Vergara. Anguissa is also questionable.
We’d be reluctant to rule out a potential impact from the coaching change, which means we should steer clear of the three-way system. Instead, we’re banking on the match at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo tending to be high-scoring, and we recommend betting on over 2.5 goals in the match. At Betano, the odds for this bet in the Venezia vs. Napoli match are 1.67, and we’re placing six out of ten units on it.
