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Venezia and Cittadella will resume hostilities at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo in the second leg of their Serie B playoffs final on Thursday.
The hosts hold a slight advantage in the tie, having picked up a narrow 1-0 win away from home in the first leg. Francesco Di Mariano scored the game-winning goal in the 50th minute to put the Venice outfit in the driving seat.
Cittadella finished sixth in the regular season and had to navigate through three ties to get to this stage. Venezia finished a spot higher in the regular season and saw off Lecce in the semifinals.
Promotion to Serie A is on the line in this winner-take-all fixture. While a draw or defeat by one goal is enough for the hosts to qualify, Cittadella must win by two goals to secure top-flight participation for the first time in their history.
Also Read: 5 best midfielders in the Serie A 2020-21 season
Venezia vs Cittadella Head-to-Head
The two sides have met on 15 occasions in the past and Cittadella have a better record.
The Veneto outfit have six wins to their name, while Venezia were victorious in four previous games. Five games have been drawn between the two sides.
Their most recent meeting came on Sunday in the first leg of the playoff finals when Venezia picked up a narrow 1-0 victory.
Venezia form guide: W-D-W-W-D
Cittadella form guide: L-L-W-W-D
Venezia vs Cittadella Team News
Venezia
The hosts have Magnus Karlsson ruled out with a foot injury. The trio of Lauri Ala-Myllymaki, Luca Lezzerini and Riccardo Pigozzo are all doubts for the clash.
Injury: Magnus Karlsson
Suspension: none
Doubtful: Lauri Ala-Myllymaki, Luca Lezzerini, Riccardo Pigozzo
Cittadella
The visitors have defender Amedeo Benedetti facing fitness issues. The 29-year-old left-back will face a late fitness test to determine his availability. There are no suspension concerns for manager Roberto Venturato.
Injury: None
Doubtful: Amedeo Benedetti
Suspension: None
Venezia vs Cittadella Predicted XI
Venezia Predicted XI (4-3-1-2): Niki Maenpaa (GK); Giacomo Ricci, Pietro Ceccaroni, Michael Svoboda, Pasquale Mazzocchi; Youssef Maleh, Anthony Taugourdeau, Domen Crnigoj; Mattia Aremu; Francesco Di Mariano, Francesco Forte
Cittadella Predicted XI (4-3-1-2): Elhan Kastrati (GK); Daniele Donnarumma, Davide Adorni, Domenico Frare, Luca Ghiringhelli; Simone Branca, Manuel Iori, Federico Proia; Alessio Vita, Enrico Baldini, Frank Tsadjout
Venezia vs Cittadella Prediction
Cittadella need to find the delicate balance between attacking for the goals they need, while also maintaining compactness in the defense.
This is easier said than done against a Venezia side that will have home advantage. We are predicting another win for the hosts, with goals at both ends.
Prediction: Venezia 2-1 Cittadella
Also Read: The top 5 Serie A defenders of 2020/21
