OPPOSITION FOCUS | VENEZIA

Juventus play host to Venezia this Sunday, May 1, for the first time since August 2001. Then it was the first game of the season. This time around, almost 21 years on, it is the penultimate home match this campaign.

Juventus have climbed to a point behind third-placed Napoli on the back of a strong second half to the campaign. The opposite has occurred at Venezia. A bright start on their return to Serie A has been undone due to just one win in 2022. What's more, this weekend's visitors are on the receiving end of an eight-match losing streak.

In an attempt to salvage their Serie A status, the Winged Lions this week released Paolo Zanetti, the coach that led the club back to the top flight for the first time in 20 years, replacing him with Under-23 coach, Andrea Soncin.

In a strange twist of fate, Soncin's debut as coach in Serie A comes against Juventus, just like his debut as a player, when in August 2002 he took to the field for Perugia against the Bianconeri.

TEAM FOCUS

• The first meeting ended 1-1, which means, should they avoid defeat, Venezia would remain unbeaten in both Serie A matches against the Bianconeri for the first time since 1941/42.

• Venezia have won three away games so far this season, just one shy of their Serie A best of four away wins in 1942/43.

• For the first time in club history in a single Serie A campaign, Venezia have lost all of their last eight league games.

• Venezia have failed to hit the net in their last three Serie A away games, their worst run since 1967, when they reached five matches without scoring.

• With six direct dismissals, Venezia have received the most straight red cards in Serie A, at least double more than any other team, and with 91 yellow cards are second only to Roma with 94.

PLAYER FOCUS

• Mattia Aramu's last Serie A goal was the equaliser when Juventus visited on 11 December, making him one of two forwards to have played the most games since then without scoring. His 14 games is surpassed only by Bologna's Musa Barrow on 15.

• Thomas Henry is the only Venezia player this season to have reached double figures in goal participation, scoring seven and providing three assists.

• David Okereke has made nine counterattacks, at least two more than any other player in Serie A this season.

• Gianluca Busio is one of only three players born in 2002, along with Udinese’s Destiny Udogie and Bologna’s Aaron Hickey, to have started more than 20 matches this campaign.