Venezia vs Juventus

There will be a lot at stake when Venezia and Juventus meet, as the hosts play for their Serie A survival at Stadio Penzo on Sunday.

Although the Lagunari require support to escape the drop, Juve want a Champions League ticket for the next campaign - if they win, they will seal fourth place in an ordinary season.
Before the last game, Juventus are top of the race for Champions League qualification, though three other teams might still get the fourth spot, depending on how the next 'Super Sunday' goes.

If Turin wins against Venezia, they collect fourth place, but Roma against Torino and Lazio against Lecce will pounce if Turin does not win.

Juventus lead Roma by one point and Lazio by two, so they are poised to meet the board’s requirements, though it could still come down to head-to-head records should there be a tie between the three clubs.

Coming closer to their title last week, Juventus beat mid-table Udinese after both goals were set up by Kenan Yildiz. Nico Gonzalez scored first for Juve before Dusan Vlahovic ended his drought with a late second.

Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounds several other men, especially interim head coach Igor Tudor, who will manage the team at the Club World Cup next month but may leave soon which means Juve could be in for another season of big changes in the summer.

In his fifth away game since taking charge, Tudor will aim to beat a team as he tries to book his spot at Milan on a full contract.

After a dramatic 2-2 draw in December—sealed by Vlahović’s late equalizer—Tudor’s side knows only a victory this weekend will keep them in control of fourth place, with rivals from the capital ready to pounce.

For Venezia, the situation is even more precarious. Sitting 19th and two points from safety, their mission is clear: secure a first home win against Juventus in Serie A since April 1962. Even three points might not be enough to escape relegation, but it’s their only hope.

Last week’s crushing 3-0 defeat to Cagliari left Venezia in deep trouble, allowing Lecce and Empoli to pull ahead. The Lagunari struggled to respond after conceding early, continuing their season-long struggle for goals—averaging less than one per game.

With no reliable striker, Venezia have heavily relied on set-pieces, with 53% of their league goals coming from dead-ball situations—the highest ratio in Serie A this season.

Despite their struggles, there’s a glimmer of hope. Venezia have won two of their last three home matches, matching their total from the previous 13. A win against Juventus would mark their first back-to-back Serie A victories at Stadio Penzo in 25 years.

Even then, survival would hinge on Empoli and Lecce dropping points. If both draw and Venezia pull off a shock win—tying all three at 32 points—a dramatic relegation playoff could follow. But for now, Di Francesco’s men must focus solely on the task at hand: toppling Juventus.