VENEZIA

League position: 20th
Head coach: Andrea Soncin
Serie A top scorer: Thomas Henry (nine)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: L D D W L
VENEZIA: L L L L W

The Giallorossi’s defeat to Fiorentina last time out leaves Roma sitting sixth with two games to go - three points back from fifth and level on points with La Viola and Atalanta in seventh and eighth, respectively.

Victory over Serie A’s bottom club could guarantee Roma’s place in Europe next season, but Jose Mourinho must make do without the suspended Gianluca Mancini for the high-fashion Venetians’ visit.

Caretaker coach Soncin saw his side end a nine-game losing streak and claim just a sixth win of the campaign - and second in 2022 - by beating Bologna 4-3 last time out.

That leaves them still five points adrift of safety with six to play for and they could even have their relegation confirmed even before the match kicks off. If not, even claiming all three points at the Olimpico might only postpone their misery until later in the weekend.

Possible Venezia line-up

(3-4-2-1)

Maenpaa; Svoboda, Caldara, Ceccaroni; Mateju, Ampadu, Vacca, Haps; Cuisance, Aramu; Henry

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Thomas Henry

French striker Henry took his tally to nine league goals by hitting the opener against Bologna last time out and is the club’s top scorer.

They nearly wasted Henry’s opener - and Sofian Kiyine’s strike that made it 2-0 - as Bologna took a 3-2 lead in the second half, but Mattia Aramu’s penalty and Dennis Johnsen’s injury-time effort salvaged a dramatic 4-3 win.

Goals and spirit will definitely aid Venezia’s late efforts for survival, but they need a near miracle to stay up.

They will be hoping Henry can deliver said salvation by taking his league tally into double figures and beyond.

MATCH STATS

Roma have won each of their last four Serie A home meetings against Venezia, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion and the last away goal the Arancioneroverdi scored against the Giallorossi was in January 1963.

Inter Milan (42), Fiorentina (38) and AC Milan (37) are the only teams that have collected more home points than Roma’s 35 this season.

Meanwhile, no side has kept more clean sheets on home soil than the Giallorossi (10) this term and they have only registered more shutouts in a single season on three occasions: 12 in 2013-14 and 1941-42 and 11 in 1935-36.

Only Udinese (eight) have scored more second half injury-time goals than Roma (seven) in 2021-22, while Venezia have conceded the most goals after the 90th-minute (eight).

PLAYER STATS

• Tammy Abraham is six league games without finding the back of the net but his 15-goal return has only been bettered in a single season by two Roma players throughout history: Rodolfo Volk (21 goals, 1929-30) and Pedro Manfredini (16 goals, 1959-60).
  
• Abraham will be reunited with former Chelsea teammate Ethan Ampadu on Saturday, but the pair never actually played in the same side for the Blues.
  
• Soncin has been in charge for three matches as Venezia caretaker; losing twice and winning once.
  
• Alongside Napoli, Roma are one of the two sides Mattia Caldara has scored two Serie A goals against and he scored his only top-flight goal of the campaign thus far in November’s reverse.

WHAT THEY SAID

“Today we achieved what I had asked of the team before the game: a show of pride, worthy of winning over our fans. We had to demonstrate courage today, and that's what we did in a thrilling game.

"We'll see what happens in the other matches, but this must be the spirit of our team regardless of the results of our opponents."

- Soncin after his team’s much needed win over Bologna