Venezia vs Modena

Venezia vs Modena Preview

There’s a certain kind of cup game that doesn’t get the attention it deserves — early round, mid-August, two sides who haven’t even kicked a competitive ball in the league yet. This is one of those games. Venezia welcome Modena to the Stadio Penzo on Saturday evening in the opening round of the Coppa Italia, and while it might not have the glamour of a later stage, there’s plenty riding on it. The winner moves on to face either Udinese or Padova in round two. The loser goes home and spends the week processing an early exit before their league campaign has even started.

Venezia are back in Serie A after bouncing straight back up from Serie B, finishing top of the pile last season ahead of Frosinone. Given they’ve been relegated immediately after each of their last two promotions to the top flight, the pressure on Giovanni Stroppa to make this stint stick is real. They’ve backed that ambition in the market too — record signing Akor Adams leading the line, defensive reinforcements arriving, genuine quality being added. Before Lecce arrive at the Penzo next weekend for the Serie A opener, Venezia need to shake off the pre-season rust and do a job against a Modena side who are working through their own transition under new manager Daniele Galloppa.

Modena finished sixth in Serie B last season and came agonisingly close to promotion through the playoffs, losing narrowly to Juve Stabia. They haven’t won the Coppa Italia — not once in their history — and their recent record in the competition is grim. Two successive first-round exits, one on penalties against Napoli, one beaten 1-0 by Torino. They’ll want to change that narrative, but they’re heading to a ground where the hosts will be well motivated and well stocked.

Venezia vs Modena Form

Neither side has a competitive result to lean on yet, so pre-season form is the closest thing we’ve got. Venezia’s summer campaign started brilliantly — three straight wins, including a 3-0 hammering of Galatasaray that’ll have caught a few people’s attention. That kind of result against a club of that stature, even in pre-season, tells you there’s something to work with here. Things got a bit scrappier after that; a 4-3 defeat to Saint Etienne and a 2-2 draw with Brest suggest the defensive shape still needs tidying. But broadly, Stroppa’s side look like a team building towards something rather than one still searching for an identity.

Modena’s pre-season was decent without being spectacular — three wins, a draw, and a defeat across five games under Galloppa. The new manager has been implementing his 3-4-2-1 system, which gives Modena a dynamic look going forward with wing-backs pushing high and two creative players tucked in behind the striker. Ettore Gliozzi leading the line makes sense given he was their top scorer last season, and there’s some genuine quality in that front third. But Modena are still a Series B club adjusting to a new setup, and a trip to a Serie A ground with a week left before their actual season starts is a tough ask.

The honest assessment is that form is limited as a predictor here given the pre-season context, but Venezia’s trajectory is upward — new players bedding in, a manager who knows the club well, and the motivation of proving they belong in Serie A this time around. That combination matters more than a couple of mixed friendly results.

Venezia vs Modena Head to Head

History between these two isn’t extensive, but the most recent meeting is worth flagging because it matters to the narrative. Modena won 2-0 at the Penzo back in February during last season’s Serie B campaign — one of only two home defeats Venezia suffered on their own turf all season. Daniel Tonoli and Gady Beyuku were the scorers that day, and if Galloppa goes with both of them from the start on Saturday, there’ll be a psychological edge there for the visitors. Teams love returning to a ground where they won, and Modena will remind themselves of that result plenty of times this week.

That said, Venezia have since clinched the title, got promoted, and spent the summer reshaping their squad for Serie A. The side that walked out at the Penzo in February looks quite different from the one that’ll line up on Saturday. Recent H2H history points to a tight affair being possible, but context has shifted significantly in Venezia’s favour.

Venezia vs Modena Lineups

Venezia have two players confirmed out — defender Marin Sverko and forward Andrea Adorante are both sidelined. Elsewhere though, Stroppa has a strong group to pick from. Akor Adams is expected to lead the line, with Simon Sohm likely in the engine room alongside George Busio. The summer arrivals of Armel Bella-Kotchap and Redouane Halhal should bolster the back line, while Toma Basic — who came in on a free from Lazio — adds real quality in central midfield. Stroppa has plenty of options and will want to give minutes to the new faces ahead of the league opener.

Modena have their own injury concern to deal with — midfielder Alessandro Sersanti has recently suffered a serious injury and won’t feature. Galloppa is expected to line up in his favoured 3-4-2-1, with Zampano — a former Venezia player who’ll know this ground well — operating as a wing-back. Gliozzi should lead the attack, with Tonoli and Beyuku potentially both in the XI given their impact the last time Modena came here. It’s a reasonable squad, but the gap in overall quality when you compare the two rosters is clear.

Venezia vs Modena Tactics

Stroppa tends to set Venezia up with attacking intent, and at home in a cup game they need to win, there’s no reason to think that changes. The wide areas look particularly threatening — Yeboah on one flank, full-backs getting forward, and Adams as a physical presence to aim at in the box. With Basic pulling the strings in central midfield and Sohm covering the ground, Venezia should be able to control the tempo. The main question is whether the defensive structure with newer players is tight enough to cope if Modena hit them on the counter. The 4-3 loss to Saint Etienne in pre-season showed they can be got at, and that’s something Galloppa will have noticed.

Modena’s 3-4-2-1 under Galloppa is built on compactness and transitions. They’ll sit in, try to frustrate Venezia, and rely on their wing-backs to provide width and threat going forward. Zampano and Beyuku are both comfortable getting forward, and if Bozhanaj and Caso can find pockets between Venezia’s lines, they have the creativity to cause problems. The issue is whether Modena can sustain that defensive shape for ninety minutes against a Serie A squad with this quality of personnel. Sooner or later a moment of quality is likely to decide things — and Venezia simply have more of those moments available to them.

Venezia vs Modena Prediction and Betting Tips

Venezia should win this comfortably enough. Home advantage, a significantly stronger squad, the motivation of preparing for life back in Serie A, and a Modena side who’ve been knocked out at this stage in each of their last two Coppa Italia campaigns — it all points in one direction. Yes, Modena won here in February, but that was a different Venezia team in a different context. Stroppa’s side will want a statement performance heading into the league season, and this feels like the right occasion for one.

The tip is a Venezia win with both teams scoring. Modena are capable of nicking a goal — they’ve got quality up top in Gliozzi and creative players behind him — and Venezia’s defence is still finding its feet with new personnel. A win for the hosts is likely, but a completely clean sheet feels less certain given the attacking talent Modena carry. Back Venezia in the Match Result and BTTS market.