Serie A Matchday 8 brings Genoa and Venezia together at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on 25 October 2026, with 17th placed Genoa on four points sitting just above 20th placed Venezia on three. Both clubs have managed only one league win apiece but the home side carry the better recent form and a record against this particular opponent that makes uncomfortable reading for Nicola's squad.
Daniele De Rossi and Davide Nicola have never met in a competitive fixture. De Rossi took charge at Genoa on 6 November 2025 after replacing Patrick Vieira, while Nicola was appointed by Venezia on 14 October 2026, stepping in for Giovanni Stroppa less than two weeks before this game. Neither manager has any data on the other to draw from, so the tactical adjustments each makes on the night will be made entirely in the dark.
Genoa arrive with their last five reading W-D-L-L-W, including a 2-1 win over Fiorentina before a 2-0 defeat to Roma. Venezia, meanwhile, secured their first win of the season last time out, a 1-0 victory over Napoli under Nicola, yet that result sits inside a W-L-L-L-L sequence and the away side have conceded 16 goals in seven matches.
Genoa will be without Lorenzo Colombo, ruled out with an ankle injury and Djibril Sow is a doubt due to fitness concerns. Venezia have two confirmed absences: Gianluca Busio is out with a thigh problem and Bartol Franjic is sidelined by a shoulder injury. De Rossi will need to maintain midfield control if Sow is unavailable, while Nicola has already lost both his first choice options in central midfield and at right full back. The absences hurt both sides but they hurt Venezia more given how thin their squad already looks.
Genoa are expected to set up in either a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2. Milutin Osmajic leads the line as their top scorer with around three goals, Stephan El Shaarawy operates on the left, Morten Frendrup operates as the deepest midfielder and captain Johan Vasquez organises the back three. Venezia favour a 3-5-2 built around counter attacking speed, with Akor Adams, fresh from the winner against Napoli, generating a high shot volume and testing Genoa's centre backs and Juan Jesus heading a back three that has conceded 16 goals in seven games.
Colombo's absence leaves Osmajic without a second striker to draw defenders, increasing his isolation in the box and if Sow is ruled out too, Frendrup carries an even heavier defensive workload with fewer opportunities to push forward. Losing both Busio and Franjic weakens the midfield press and the width on the right for Venezia, making it harder for Nicola to sustain the compact shape that worked against Napoli. The duel to watch is Osmajic against Venezia's centre backs, with Frendrup's positioning determining how much service Adams gets and El Shaarawy battling the Venezia wing backs for space on the left.
Genoa are unbeaten in nine prior Serie A meetings with Venezia at the Luigi Ferraris, winning eight and drawing one and they hold four wins to Venezia's two in recent encounters overall. Colombo's absence may reduce their aerial presence at the far post, though De Rossi's shape is designed to clear the first ball and launch quick transitions and Venezia's new organisation under Nicola has not yet been tested against a team that creates regularly from dead balls. Genoa need a second win to pull away from the drop zone, Venezia need to show their victory over Napoli was the beginning of something rather than a one off.
We're going with Genoa 2-1 Venezia. Eight wins from nine home meetings with this opponent is a record that carries real weight here and Osmajic is well placed to open the scoring from a transition or set piece delivery, with El Shaarawy's ability to cut inside giving Venezia's defence a different problem to solve. Venezia showed enough organisation against Napoli to suggest they are not completely broken but losing Busio and Franjic limits their capacity to sustain pressure or defend wide areas over 90 minutes. Genoa's 2-1 win over Fiorentina showed they can finish chances at home and a late Adams counter might produce a consolation without changing the result. Genoa should move three points clear of the bottom three, leaving Venezia stuck at the foot of the table.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
