Venezia vs Fiorentina: A Friday-Night Test With Both Clubs Chasing Their First Breakthrough

There is no comfortable side of the table for either Venezia or Fiorentina heading into this fourth-round meeting, with both clubs still searching for their first Serie A points of the campaign.
Venezia have lost to Lecce, Milan and Frosinone, although Giovanni Stroppa believes the performances have contained enough positive elements to suggest that the results have not reflected the team’s level.
Fiorentina’s situation is even more unsettled after three consecutive defeats, nine goals conceded and only one goal scored led to Fabio Grosso’s dismissal after just three league matches.
Paolo Vanoli has now returned to the Fiorentina bench, creating an unusual storyline because his first assignment is against the club he previously coached before taking the Viola job.
That change gives the visitors a new emotional and tactical starting point, but Vanoli has had only a few days to prepare his players before this trip to Venice.
For Stroppa, the priority is to make his players trust the football they have been building, while Fiorentina need an immediate response without allowing the coaching change to create unnecessary tactical confusion.

Venezia’s 3-5-2 places particular importance on the wing-back positions, with the home side able to use Haps and Hainaut to provide width while Busio, Kike Pérez and Sohm work through the middle.
The presence of Akor Adams gives Stroppa a direct reference point up front, while Albion Rrahmani offers another route for movement around the opposing defensive line.
Fiorentina arrive with a 4-3-3 structure built around David de Gea behind a back four, with Nicolò Fagioli, Cher Ndour and Arthur Atta forming the midfield platform.
The attacking trio of Franco Mastantuono, Beto and Alieu Njie provides Vanoli with pace, movement and different options for attacking the channels rather than relying entirely on central combinations.
The most important tactical battle could develop when Venezia’s wing-backs push forward, because Fiorentina’s wide forwards can then attack the space left behind them.
At the other end, Venezia will want their midfield three to prevent Fagioli and Atta from receiving comfortably between the lines and turning possession into sustained pressure.

The medical situation has a significant effect on Venezia’s defensive depth, with Sverko, Adorante, Franjic, Bella-Kotchap, Basic and Dagasso unavailable for the matchday squad.
Franjic’s situation is particularly clear: Venezia confirmed that he underwent surgery for an acromioclavicular dislocation on September 9 and has now begun his rehabilitation programme.
Those absences explain why Stroppa has had to reshuffle his defensive options, with Matías Moreno, Redouane Halhal and Joël Schingtienne among the players entrusted with responsibility in the back line.
Fiorentina’s confirmed absence is Fabiano Parisi, while the new coaching staff otherwise have a sizeable group from which to select their starting side.
The availability picture means Venezia must rely on defensive coordination rather than depth, especially if the match becomes stretched in the second half.
Fiorentina, meanwhile, have the opportunity to use their greater selection flexibility to alter the rhythm through substitutions without abandoning Vanoli’s basic structure.

The pre-match mood in Venice has been shaped by Stroppa’s insistence that his players should continue along the technical path already established rather than panic because the points column remains empty.
He described the team’s work during the week as particularly strong and said the second half against Frosinone had triggered something different in the squad.
Across the visitors’ camp, the biggest talking point is naturally Vanoli’s return, coming only days after Fiorentina ended Grosso’s brief tenure following the disastrous opening sequence.
Vanoli previously guided Fiorentina away from relegation trouble last season, so the club are hoping familiarity can accelerate the recovery process despite the extremely short preparation period.
The match therefore carries two very different forms of pressure: Venezia are trying to prove that encouraging performances can finally produce a result, while Fiorentina are attempting to reset their entire trajectory under a returning coach.
With both sides still without a point, the contest is less about protecting an early-season position and more about establishing a first piece of momentum before the pressure increases further.

🟥 The Medical Picture: Confirmed Absences Before Kickoff

Venezia FC

ACF Fiorentina

🟢 The Starting Sides: Official Matchday Personnel

Venezia FC — Confirmed Starting XI

ACF Fiorentina — Confirmed Starting XI

🗣️ The Conversation Around the Fixture

• Giovanni Stroppa has stressed that Venezia’s performances have deserved more than their current points total and wants the team to continue developing its identity.
• Stroppa also believes the second half against Frosinone changed the team’s mentality and gave the squad greater confidence ahead of the Fiorentina visit.
• Fiorentina’s coaching change is the dominant storyline: Paolo Vanoli has returned only days after Fabio Grosso was dismissed following three straight league defeats.
• Vanoli previously helped Fiorentina move away from relegation danger last season, making his return familiar but extremely demanding from the outset.
• Both clubs have lost their first three league matches, making this a particularly important opportunity to establish momentum before the early-season pressure intensifies.

🎯 Four Tactical Details That Could Shape the Night

• Venezia’s wing-back exposure: Haps and Hainaut can push forward, but Fiorentina’s wide forwards may immediately attack the space they leave behind.
• Busio against Fagioli: Control of the central midfield could determine whether Venezia can build attacks without becoming trapped inside their own half.
• Adams as the reference: Venezia need Akor Adams to occupy Fiorentina’s centre-backs and create room for the second striker and midfield runners.
• Mastantuono’s freedom: The Argentine can move from the flank into central areas, potentially forcing Venezia’s midfield line to make difficult decisions about who follows him.

🏟️ Fixture Information

🔄 Variation Rule — Let the Coaching Change Drive the Narrative

This edition deliberately makes the managerial transition the central storyline, then connects it to Venezia’s tactical identity, the confirmed availability picture and the contrasting structures selected for the match instead of following the usual injury-first sequence.