Venezia host Inter at Stadio Pierluigi Penzo on October 28 in Serie A Regular Season Matchday 9, a stage at which the season is beginning to take shape. The league table puts the two sides at opposite ends: Venezia are 20th and Inter are 1st.

The biggest factor is the contrast in form. Venezia have lost four of their last five matches, and their only win in that run was a 1-0 home victory over Napoli on October 17. They also lost 2-4 to Fiorentina on September 11, 0-2 to Lazio on September 19, 3-1 away to Atalanta on October 12 and 1-0 away to Genoa on October 25. That is four goals scored and ten conceded in five games. Inter have won four of their last five in all competitions. In Serie A they beat Parma 3-0 on October 10, Bologna 3-1 away on October 17 and Fiorentina 2-1 on October 25. That is eight goals scored and two conceded in three league games.

The second factor is schedule. Inter also played in the UEFA Champions League on October 13, a 3-4 home loss to Club Brugge KV, and on October 21, a 1-0 home win over Shakhtar Donetsk. That means a heavier workload than Venezia, whose recent matches are all in Serie A. Both teams last played on October 25, so they go into this match with the same gap since their previous game.

Neither side has any unavailable players reported. Both managers, Venezia's D. Nicola and Inter's C. Chivu, can pick from full squads, and both used a 3-5-2 in their last matches.

Inter have won all five of the meetings in the head-to-head record provided, which adds a historical dimension. For Venezia, the question is whether their home form can offer any resistance to the league leaders.