Fiorentina vs Venezia Prediction: Alfred antics unlikely to be enough for visitors

It was a tough start to life back in Serie A for Venezia in the opening round of fixtures as they lost 3-1 to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, and things don't get much easier this weekend as they travel to Florence to face Fiorentina on Sunday (17:30).

Ahead of this second-round clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, I have outlined my Fiorentina vs Venezia prediction, which you can check out below, alongside all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Fiorentina drew 1-1 away to Parma last Saturday - Cristiano Biraghi scoring a 75th-minute equaliser after Dennis Man had put the hosts ahead in the first half - and subsequently made eight changes to their starting XI for the 3-3 draw with Hungarian side Puskas Academy in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier.

Lucas Martinez Quarta, Marin Pongracic and Rolando Mandragora were the only three players to start both games, but Pongracic definitely won't make it three starts on the spin as he received a red card against Parma, meaning he will have to serve a suspension in Serie A.

David de Gea endured a difficult debut in midweek and looks likely to lose his place to regular goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano, while the likes of Biraghi, Sofyan Amrabat and Moise Kean - who struck his first goal for La Viola on Thursday - are also expected to return to the starting XI.

Luca Ranieri, who played the duration of the draw with Puskas Academy, is eligible to feature in Serie A again after being banned for the first game of the season.

A recent loan arrival from Genoa, Albert Gudmundsson, remains injured, however.

Football Odds

The visitors will be without injured trio Bjarki Bjarkason, Gianluca Busio and Mato Jajalo again, while last season's 22-goal top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo is in a race against time to feature for the first time this term following a thigh issue.

Albert Duncan will line up against his former club for the first time since leaving as a free agent in the summer.

Fiorentina vs Venezia Odds

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Sunday's hosts are 4/9 to secure their first win under the tutelage of Raffaele Palladino, giving them an implied win probability of 69.2%, while Venezia are 13/2, or a 13.3% chance, to get all three points.

A draw can be backed at 7/2, both teams to score at 1/1 and over 2.5 total goals at 4/5.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Fiorentina & Yes @ 23/10

Two draws - one in Serie A and one in a Europa Conference League qualifier - probably isn't how Palladino envisaged his start to life at Fiorentina going, with Thursday's result particularly disappointing as they must head to Hungary next week without an advantage.

However, a home fixture against a recently promoted side should help to lift spirits, with Venezia experiencing the cruel nature of Serie A again last weekend as their early opener against Lazio was quickly cancelled out, and by half-time, they were a goal down.

Scoring away to Lazio, who came one point and one place above Fiorentina last season should offer encouragement that they can at least get themselves on the scoresheet in Florence.

Fiorentina were a goal down at the interval against Parma last Saturday and shipped three goals at home to Puskas Academy on Thursday, so they are there to be got at.

The hosts should have too much in the end, though, with Kean's confidence surely increased after his first goal for the club in midweek.

Bet Builder - Alfred Duncan 1+ Shots & 2+ Tackles @ 8/5

It was fewer than three months ago that Duncan featured for Fiorentina in a Europa League Conference Final against Olympiakos, which they ultimately lost 1-0 after extra-time. The 31-year-old came on for Arthur Melo in the 74th minute and tried his luck from distance 15 minutes later, missing the target. He also showed his usual tenacity in midfield with a foul and a tackle in his time on the pitch.

However, the Ghanaian departed for pastures new in the summer, swapping Florence for Venice. Nice work if you can get it, eh?

Duncan was thrust straight into the action in Venezia's 3-1 Coppa Italia defeat at Brescia on August 11, starting the game before being substituted in the 64th minute. He played the duration of their Serie A opener against Lazio a week later as the Rome club bounced back from Magnus Kofod Andersen's early strike to win 3-1.

Venezia got an early glimpse of what Duncan can offer at the Stadio Olimpico as he made two tackles and two fouls and took one shot. His experience and strength in midfield will be vital for I Lagunari as they look to avoid an instant return to Serie B.

Players are usually desperate to perform against their former club, and I see no reason why it will be any different with Duncan against Fiorentina on Sunday. He arrived in Florence on loan from Sassuolo in January 2020, making the move permanent later that year, and made over 100 appearances for La Viola.

Duncan wasn't a prolific scorer or card merchant at Fiorentina, netting just six times in Serie A and only picking up 10 yellow cards, but it wasn't for want of trying.

The Ghana international averaged 0.8 shots per game in Serie A last term and averaged 0.9 fouls per game, as well as 1.2 tackles per game. As such, I'm looking at a shot-and-tackle double for Duncan on Sunday.

He had one shot against Lazio and made two tackles - I think he can repeat those feats against his former employers as he looks to impress his new supporters.

Offers

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