Venezia’s return to Serie A ended in a heavy defeat. The newly promoted club needed just three minutes to score back at the top level, but the lead quickly disappeared from the scoreboard when visiting SS Lazio. AS Roma could only manage a disappointing draw.
The season started badly for Venezia in midweek, as it was eliminated in the Coppa Italia by Serie B club Brescia (3-1). In that match, Jay Idzes was responsible for his club’s only goal with a header, but because he picked up a yellow card in the last match of the promotion year last season, he was suspended for the return to the highest level of Italy.
That reunion with the highest level started fantastically, because Magnus Kofod Andersen took advantage of Lazio’s loss of possession in their own sixteen with a beautiful shot into the top corner after three minutes. Halfway through, regular customer Tijjani Noslin and his associates had already turned the score around. First, Michael Svaboda took advantage of another mistake at the back by substitute Ridgeciano Haps and on the stroke of half-time, captain Mattia Zaccagni fired a penalty into the net. That penalty was awarded after a foul by former FC Groningen defender Marin Šverko on a cross by Noslin.
Haps had a huge chance to equalize cold on the field, but shot the ball past the post on the wrong side. Ten minutes before the end he shot another chance at keeper Ivan Provedel, after which the duel was decided on the other side by an own goal by Giorgio Altare.
That there was no scoring in the match between Cagliari and AS Roma, for whom Rick Karsdorp was not part of the selection, was a minor miracle. Only in the last fifteen minutes did both teams hit the crossbar: Artem Dovbyk, who had come over from Girona, headed onto the aluminium from two metres and a few minutes later former Ajax player Razvan Marin also shot onto the top of the goal on the other side.
In the counter Lorenzo Pellegrini thought to open the score, but that goal was eventually disallowed due to offside. After a shockingly dull first half there was enough spectacle after the break, but there was still no scoring in Sardinia.
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