Get in the mood for Venezia v Inter

MILAN – Serie A is back after a successful midweek in the Champions League in which the Nerazzurri overcame Shakhtar to reach the last 16 of Europe’s premiere club competition. Next up is a trip to the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo to face Paolo Zanetti’s Venezia side at 20:45 CET on Saturday in Week 14 in Serie A.

FORM BOOK

Both teams are in good form. Inter head into the game off the back of the league win over Napoli and the Champions League success against Shakhtar, while Venezia have racked up back-to-back victories in the league against Roma and Bologna in recent weeks. They haven’t registered three consecutive Serie A wins since March 1962.

Only Bayern Munich (41 in 12 games) and Liverpool (35 in 12) have scored more goals than Inter (32) among teams in Europe’s big five leagues in 2021/22. Three goals in Venice would see the Nerazzurri reach a record tally for goals in the first 14 games of a Serie A campaign in the era of three points for a win. The current record of 34 was set in the Scudetto-winning 2020/21 season.

Inter have scored in each of their last 16 away games in the league, registering 30 goals in that time. Only twice have the Nerazzurri gone on a longer run of scoring on the road in consecutive Serie A matches: 17 in 2002 and 18 in 1951.

The goalscoring feats do not end there, however, as Inter have found the net in their last 32 league outings, which is the highest in Serie A at present and an all-time record for the club.

GENERAL STATS

Inter have had a league high of 12 different goalscorers this season and have scored more headed goals than any other side in Europe’s big five leagues with nine. Venezia, meanwhile, have only conceded one header all season, against Cagliari in October, which is a tally that no other Serie A team can beat.

All 12 of Venezia’s goals so far this season have come from inside the penalty area, while 29 of Inter’s 32 have been scored from within the box, which is more than any other Serie A outfit.

It is a meeting between the team that has scored the most second-half goals in Serie A (Inter – 18) and the team that has netted the fewest after the interval (Venezia – seven).

Venezia have conceded the lowest percentage of goals from set pieces (16% – three out of 19), while Inter sit atop the rankings, having let in seven of 15 goals (47%).

The Nerazzurri have picked up a league high of 13 points from losing positions, having mustered four wins and one draws in the six games in which they have fallen behind.

PLAYER FOCUS

Only Genoa’s Mattia Destro (four) has scored more headed goals than Edin Dzeko (three) this season. The Bosnian has only scored more headers in two Serie A campaigns to date: 2017/18 (five) and 2019/20 (six).

No player has registered more assists than Nicolo Barella (five) so far this term. The midfielder’s season record stands at seven in 2020/21.

It has been Hakan Calhanoglu’s best start to a Serie A term for goalscoring, with three goals in 13 games. No Serie A player has provided more assists from set pieces than the Turk this term (three).

Ivan Perisic is one victory away from a century of Serie A triumphs.

Milan Skriniar could make his 150th Inter appearance in Serie A in Venice on Saturday.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Inter haven’t lost against a newly promoted side since September 2018 (0-1 v Parma), securing 15 wins and three draws since that defeat. This is the club’s longest unbeaten run against newbies since 2016 (27).

In the previous six Serie A meetings between the two sides in the era of three points for a win, Inter have won three, there has been one stalemate and Venezia have come out on top twice. In total, the Nerazzurri have bagged 46 league goals against Venezia.

SUSPENDED PLAYERS

Venezia: NA

Inter: NA

PLAYERS CLOSE TO SUSPENSION

Venezia: Ampadu, Heymans

Inter: NA