Como vs Venezia: Form Says One Thing, Standings Say Another
Four wins from six for Como, five defeats from six for Venezia — this one has a familiar ring to it
Four wins from their last six. Ten goals scored, five conceded, and results that include a 3-1 win at Torino and a 3-1 triumph away at Fiorentina. Como have quietly become one of the more compelling stories in Serie A this season, and Sunday's matchweek 10 home fixture against a Venezia side in freefall feels like exactly the kind of match they'll be licking their lips at. T. Douvikas has two goals from two appearances and sits among the division's top scorers, while M. Baturina chips in with a goal and an assist from limited minutes. For fantasy football purposes, both are worth serious attention right now.
Venezia's numbers are, and there's no kind way to put this, grim. One win, zero draws and five defeats from their last six matches, with just 4 goals scored and 12 conceded across that run. Their most recent results include a 0-2 home loss to Inter and a 1-0 defeat at Genoa, sandwiched around a sole bright spot in a 1-0 win over Napoli. F. Stanković has made 12 saves in just 3 appearances in goal, which tells you everything about the defensive workload the team is carrying. The problem isn't that Stanković isn't trying. The problem is that Venezia are being carved open far too regularly, conceding 19 goals from 9 matches across the full season. In a league as unforgiving as Serie A, that is not survivable form.
The injury picture adds another layer of complexity to both sides, though it arguably hurts Como less. They're without Assane Diao, who had contributed 4 key passes and an assist before his hamstring strain, and T. Chalobah is also out with a muscle injury. Those are meaningful absences in a back line and wide areas, but a squad of 32 available players gives the coaching staff options. Venezia head into Sunday short too, with M. Šverko and B. Franjić unavailable, but the bigger concern isn't personnel, it's pattern. A side that has shipped 12 goals in six matches isn't going to dramatically tighten up overnight. J. Yeboah has generated 6 key passes across 3 appearances up front without finding the net, and A. Adams and A. Hainaut have one goal apiece, but the transfer window additions haven't changed the underlying reality: Venezia look like a side fighting to stay in this division.
Let's be honest, there are fixtures in Serie A where the maths just points in one direction. Como have won four straight, scored 10 in six, and host a team that has conceded 12 in the same period. The price gap between these two sides at kick-off on Sunday reflects that, and rightly so. The numbers that really matter in football — clean sheets, goals scored, results in recent weeks — all favour the hosts. Venezia need a miracle more than a game plan, and Como are not in the business of offering either right now.
