Venice vs Modena – News and Probable Lineups

Venezia will face Modena at Stadio Penzo on Saturday evening in the Coppa Italia before returning to Italy’s top tier next week.

Both teams looking to progress past the first round, the winner will then play either Udinese or Padova in the next match.

Match overview

After suffering relegation in 2025, Venezia quickly returned to Italy’s top division last season, edging out Frosinone for the championship in Serie B.

Having faced immediate relegation after their previous two promotions to Serie A, the Lagunari are determined to break that cycle this time around, having made several ambitious signings during the transfer window.

Giovanni Stroppa’s squad achieved victories in their first three pre-season fixtures, including an impressive 3-0 win over Galatasaray, but they dropped to a 4-3 loss against Saint Etienne and drew 2-2 with Brest subsequently.

With their league campaign set to commence at home against Lecce next weekend, their immediate focus is on the cup match.

Last season, Venezia was the only Serie B club to reach the third round of the Coppa Italia, eliminating Mantova and local rivals Hellas Verona to progress to the last 16.

However, they were knocked out by the eventual champions, Inter de Milão, losing 5-1 at San Siro.

While Venezia’s solitary triumph in the cup dates back to 1941, Modena has never claimed the Coppa Italia, spending the majority of their existence in Italy’s lower divisions.

In their past two attempts, the Emilian club was eliminated in the first round, losing to Napoli on penalties before falling 1-0 to Torino.

Four years after their return to Serie B following bankruptcy, the Canarini finished sixth last season but narrowly lost to Juve Stabia in the playoffs.

New head coach Daniele Galloppa is readying his squad for next week’s league opener at Benevento, with three victories, one draw, and one defeat in their pre-season matches.

Before that, Modena must take on Venezia at Stadio Penzo, where they achieved a 2-0 victory in February, handing Venezia a rare home defeat.

Team News

Venezia is actively restructuring for a potential battle for survival in Serie A, having made Nigerian striker Akor Adams their record signing, in addition to recruiting Redouane Halhal, Armel Bella-Kotchap, and Matias Moreno to bolster their defence.

All four players could feature this weekend, alongside Swiss international Simon Sohm and Croatian midfielder Toma Basic, who joined from Lazio on a free transfer.

Marin Sverko and Andrea Adorante are both unavailable for the home side, while Modena midfielder Alessandro Sersanti is sidelined due to a serious injury.

Coach Galloppa has favored an energetic 3-4-2-1 formation during pre-season, often including former Venezia wing-back Françasco Zampano and last season’s top scorer Ettore Gliozzi.

Daniel Tonoli and Gady Beyuku both found the net in their last visit to Venice earlier this year, and both may be considered for the starting lineup this Saturday.

Venezia probable starting XI:

Stankovic; Schingtienne, Bella-Kotchap, Halhal; Correia, Sohm, Busio, Basic, Haps; Yeboah, Adams

Modena probable starting XI:

Pezzolato; Tonoli, Adorni, Nieling; Beyuku, Bianco, Santoro, Zampano; Bozhanaj, Case; Gliozzi

While neither team has an impressive cup history, Venezia is expected to be strong favorites with home advantage and a more robust squad.

Although Modena might have been one of the few visiting teams to triumph at the Penzo last season, their hosts should secure victory this time.