Regional rivals Venezia and Hellas Verona will clash at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Monday evening, with both embroiled in a battle for Serie A survival.

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Venezia's mid-season revival - featuring a run of just two defeats in seven games - has seen last term's Serie B playoff winners edge a little closer to safety, though they remain five points adrift of 17th place.

Last time out, the Lagunari secured a 1-1 away draw with fellow promoted side Parma, as Joel Pohjanpalo converted a first-half penalty before the hosts struck back after the break.

Following Pohjanpalo's spot kick, Venezia have both the highest percentage of goals scored (58%) and conceded (41%) from set pieces this season, making each dead-ball situation a moment of interest.

While the Arancioneroverdi still have plenty of work to do if they are to secure top-tier survival, head coach Eusebio Di Francesco has kept his side in touch with a multi-team scramble going on just above them.

Once in charge of Monday's opponents, Di Francesco now comes face to face with his former club, against whom Venezia have a dismal record: they have won only one of their last 15 league matches versus Verona, and that sole success came back in 2004.

Not surprisingly, then, Verona are unbeaten in seven Serie A clashes between the two clubs to date, claiming maximum points on all but one occasion.

Most notably, they defied the odds to win the most recent meeting at Stadio Penzo: a remarkable 4-3 victory in 2021 remains the only time in their top-flight history that Hellas have won after going three goals behind.

Verona boss Paolo Zanetti was in charge of Venezia that day, and shipping goals has proved a problem for his current side too: last week's 3-0 loss to Lazio took their goals-against average to 2.24 per game.

The Scaligeri have now conceded more than 45 at this stage of a season for the first time in Serie A, and that record represents the third-worst of any club so far this century.

Furthermore, Zanetti's men have failed to find the net in their last three matches, leaving them seeking both a first goal and first win of 2025 in the Derby del Veneto.

Venezia possible starting lineup:

Stankovic; Candela, Idzes, Haps; Zerbin, Ellertsson, Nicolussi Caviglia, Busio, Zampano; Oristanio; Pohjanpalo

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Magnani, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Serdar, Belahyane, Lazovic; Suslov; Sarr, Tengstedt