Serie B 22/23: road to Bari - Venezia

Giornata 27 of the 2022/23 Serie B season will see Venezia on a difficult and important away match at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari. In this midweek round, the team will try to maintain the current string of useful results against one of the favorites for promotion to the top flight.

Previous encounters

Venezia has won 15 of its 33 fixtures against Bari in Serie B (8D, 10L), only against Verona (20) has it been more successful in its history in the cadet league. On the other hand, after the success in the first leg match in October, Bari could win both season matches against Venezia for the second time in Serie B, after 1934/35.

No draw in the last eight games between Bari and Venezia in the league (two Apulian successes and six Venetian victories), the last "X" sign between the two teams in the cadet tournament dates back to Jan. 6, 2003 (1-1 at the home of Venezia). In addition, Venezia has won three of the last four away matches against Bari in Serie B (1L), as many as in the previous 12 (3D, 6L).

Stats and trivia

Venezia has scored a win and a draw in its last two league away matches, in this Serie B it has yet to go unbeaten in three matches away from home in a row.

Ahmad Benali has scored four goals against Venezia in Serie B (the result of two doubles: April 27, 2019 and March 7, 2020, both with Crotone), only against Pescara (five) has he scored more goals in the cadet tournament.

Only Südtirol (eight) has drawn more home matches than Bari (six) in the current Serie B, but only Frosinone (24) has scored more goals than Bari in home matches in this league (23 goals in 13 matches).

Coaches and formations

Paolo Vanoli and Michele Mignani have never met in their coaching careers: Mignani, who arrived in Bari to make his debut in Serie B in the summer of 2022, faced and defeated Venezia before coach Vanoli landed on the bench.

With 43 points and third place in the standings, the newly promoted Bari's numbers make them a tricky opponent: coach Mignani records a 42.3% winning percentage, with 43 goals scored and 27 conceded.

In the last three games, coach Mignani has stuck to the 3-4-1-2, alternating Antenucci, Cheddira and Esposito in attack and keeping Botta as a pure number 10. No changes for coach Vanoli, who has fine-tuned the 3-5-2.

Scorers

Although his personal tally has been at a standstill for two matches, as of last November, Venezia's Joel Pohjanpalo remains the player who has been involved in the most goals in Serie B: 12 in 15 matches (eight goals and four assists in the time frame).

Venezia's top scorer will have to contend with the virtually uncontested holder of the league's top scorer position, Walid Cheddira. The Moroccan striker, despite a nearly two-month absence due to participation in the 2022 World Cup, dominates the ranking with 14 goals and five assists.