Venezia and Fiorentina meet at Stadio Penzo on 11 September with both clubs already feeling the pressure. Venezia have no points in Serie A, while Fiorentina have lost their first two league games without scoring a goal. Paolo Vanoli returns to the dugout after Fabio Grosso was gone following a brief reign of four competitive matches at Fiorentina.

Vanoli's return and Fiorentina's reset

Vanoli is back at Stadio Franchi after steering Fiorentina to safety as interim coach last season, and this trip has the feel of an early checkpoint for the new setup. Fiorentina continued spending right up to deadline day, with Beto, Gnonto and Alieu Njie among the new arrivals who debuted last week.

That still leaves a side that has not settled. Willy Gnonto has only one Serie A appearance so far, while Pedro Goncalves has played just 11 league minutes. The attack looks talented on paper, but it is being asked to function immediately rather than gradually.

Venezia's opening spell

Venezia's return to the top flight has started badly enough to make this game feel bigger than a normal September fixture. They were crowned Serie B champions in May, then lost 3-2 to Frosinone last week after goals from John Yeboah and Richie Sagrado sparked a comeback that still ended in defeat.

Yeboah has been their most lively attacking outlet so far, with a 7.41 rating and one goal in three appearances. Venezia's last five matches read as three straight league defeats around one cup win, then another league loss, and that leaves them with very little room to absorb another poor result.

Sports Mole's preview desk summed up the mood neatly: "Even this early in the season, it could be a very tense contest, as neither side has a point and the loser will be left trailing behind." The same desk also expects that "Fiorentina's talented - and expensively assembled - attack should help Vanoli claim victory on his return."

That looks about right. Venezia have shown enough to make opponents work, but Fiorentina's need for a response, plus the heavier attacking options, should give the visitors enough to edge a match that already feels tight on both benches.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →