Ahead of a Veneto derby with Igor Tudor's Hellas Verona at Stadio Penzo on Sunday afternoon, Venezia manager Paolo Zanetti spoke to the media about the opponent and his team's current form.

"We must not let ourselves be influenced by the defeat in Bergamo too much, something which I am working a lot on this week. We are a young team; in times like these, you do need experience. I have to be the first one to pass it onto my players, in order to prevent a single defeat from snowballing, as far as concentration is concerned.

In Italy, the public rightfully focuses a lot on results, and the way you lose also gets people talking as well. Obviously, in the last round, we faced a team that can score easily against anyone — they’re possibly the best team in the league. That aside, I didn't like my team's performance against Atalanta, regardless of having had just two days to prepare for the match. I don't demand victories from my players; I expect them to give everything, to play well in terms of approach, and the rest will follow.

Verona are a very good team, that's clear for everyone to see. They're a well-rounded team, playing aggressively at a fast pace. They attack with numbers, and they're also excellent at defending. They deserve their points and their position in the table.

We must be at our very best against such a team, because it's the only way our team can have a true shot at this match. The performance must be born out of the understanding that every single point brings us one step closer to our goal.

In football, there’s a skill in being able to read situations, and knowing how to get back up after you’re down, because anyone can fly on the wings of enthusiasm after victories. This is a difficult league, where you always have to be at your best, especially for teams like us. We are not made up of top players who can change games, but of young players who have all the means to reach that top level; that's why we always need to draw on the strength of the group.

We have to leverage our home field advantage, because our fans are the 12th man on the pitch. Today, perhaps more than ever, we need them in order to reach our goal.“