Venezia v Napoli: Davide Nicola takes charge after six straight league defeats

Six league games, six defeats and no points: that is the position Davide Nicola inherits as he begins his Venezia tenure against Napoli. Having replaced Giovanni Stroppa, his first task is to get the bottom club off the mark in Serie A.

Venezia sit four points from safety heading into Week 7. Napoli bring a different set of pressures: they have 10 points from six league matches but travel after a 3-1 Champions League defeat by Villarreal.

Nicola must start work around four confirmed absences. G. Busio is out with a thigh injury, A. Adorante has a hernia, B. Franjic has a shoulder injury and M. Sverko is unavailable with a hip problem.

Three more Venezia players are questionable. A. Bella-Kotchap and T. Correia have thigh injuries, while P. Mazzocchi has a calf problem. Those fitness concerns leave Nicola with selection decisions to resolve before his first match in charge.

Napoli also have three confirmed absentees. Alessandro Buongiorno is out with a knee injury, Antonio Vergara has a calf injury and C. Favasuli is sidelined with a thigh problem.

Frank Anguissa and Mathías Olivera are questionable because of groin injuries, while Alisson Santos is a doubt with a muscle injury. Their availability is separate from the potential changes Massimiliano Allegri is considering after the Villarreal defeat.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Lorenzo Lucca is in contention for his first Napoli start, with Luca Marianucci also being considered in defence. A possible switch to a 3-4-2-1 has been reported, but neither the formation nor those starting places is confirmed.

Tuttosport also reports that Scott McTominay is being considered for a return to the starting line-up after a minor heart problem. The selection reports offer different possibilities in attack, making Lucca's role one of the decisions to watch when the teams are announced.

For Venezia, the managerial change comes against a run of seven consecutive defeats overall. Their last five results are all losses, and their most recent listed league outing ended in a 3-1 defeat away to Atalanta. Nicola's debut therefore carries an immediate, concrete objective: securing the club's first league points of the season.

Napoli's league record stands at three wins, one draw and two defeats, with a goal difference of plus four. They are eighth, six points behind leaders Inter and one point behind the top places. Their last five results across competitions read two wins, one draw and two losses.

There is an away scoring sequence for Venezia to confront, too: Napoli have scored in each of their last five matches on the road. In the two meetings between these clubs since July 2024, Napoli have one win and the other match finished level.

Joel Schingtienne has a personal milestone within reach. He is one appearance short of 50 league appearances for Venezia, so an outing against Napoli would bring up that mark on Nicola's first day in the dugout.

Kickoff is at 15:00 CEST on Saturday 17 October, with Venezia at home. Week 7 gives Nicola his first opportunity to put points on the board and Napoli their next chance to respond on the pitch after Villarreal.

Questions

Why is this Davide Nicola's first match as Venezia coach?

Nicola has taken over from Giovanni Stroppa. He begins against Napoli with Venezia bottom of Serie A after six defeats in their first six league matches.

What does being in a relegation place mean?

A relegation place is a league position that would send a club down to a lower division if it finished the season there. Venezia are currently bottom and four points from safety.

Is Lorenzo Lucca confirmed to start for Napoli?

No. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Lucca is being considered for his first Napoli start, but his place is not confirmed.

What milestone can Joel Schingtienne reach against Napoli?

Schingtienne is one appearance away from 50 league appearances for Venezia. Playing against Napoli would bring up that milestone.