Serie A 21/22: Venezia 1-0 Fiorentina

With the international break over and Serie A back in session, Venezia returned to host a talented Fiorentina side led by star striker Dušan Vlahović on Monday night. Fiorentina came into the match in 8th place — having only lost to Roma, champions Inter Milan, and league leaders Napoli — while Venezia were looking to climb out of the relegation zone, but the arancioneroverdi responded to the challenge with their best performance of the season, taking all three points in an impressive 1-0 win.

Venezia’s starting XI would feature two debutants. Argentinian goalkeeper Sergio Romero had signed just eight days prior, but manager Paolo Zanetti put the former Manchester United stopper between the posts straight away. Alongside Romero, Zanetti also tapped left-back Ridgeciano Haps, the 28-year-old Suriname international who arrived from Feyenoord on deadline day but had not been immediately available for selection.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Stadio Penzo, Fiorentina seized control of the ball early, but their attacks would stall as they approached the final third, with Pietro Ceccaroni and Michael Svoboda giving no space to Vlahović.

Venezia, meanwhile, looked to play on the counter. Within the first half-hour, they would be called offside four times, as they tried to play off the shoulder of the last defender for a killer ball into space. But in the 36th minute, it came off perfectly.

Gianluca Busio had been the hero in Giornata 7, scoring a 92nd-minute equalizer at Cagliari just before the international break, and the young American would get things started in Giornata 8. On the right side of midfield, Busio took a short pass from Ethan Ampadu, immediately spotted Thomas Henry and Mattia Aramu making runs, and played a brilliant ball over the top of the defense and into the stride of Henry. Fiorentina’s defense was completely undone, as Henry smoothly controlled the ball with one touch and laid it off for Aramu to tap into an empty net.

It was a silky move from start to finish, and Venezia were in front.

Suddenly, Venezia were playing with more confidence. Even if Fiorentina kept the edge in possession, Venezia weren’t just hanging on; they exuded the sense that they were in control. Venezia moved the ball with more precision and quickness than in previous matches, and their team defending was strong and organized, as they comfortably carried their lead into half-time.

Just after half-time, Venezia suffered a slight setback. In the 50th minute, Dennis Johnsen was forced off the pitch after getting caught on the ankle. David Okereke came on to take his place, and while Okereke offered a new dimension as a more conventional striker, Venezia would miss Johnsen’s running and dribbling from the outside in support of Henry up front.

Between the 56th minute and 75th minute, Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Italiano would bring on Arsenal loanee Lucas Torreira, Argentine international Nicolás González, and former Venezia midfielder Youssef Maleh, but their effort to turn the match took a hit when winger Riccardo Sottil picked up his second yellow card and was sent off in the 77th minute.

Desperate for an equalizer, Fiorentina did turn up the pressure in the final 15 minutes of the match despite being down a man, and they could come dangerously close to an equalizer in stoppage time, but Vlahović would send a left-footed curler just wide of Romero’s post.

By then, defender Mattia Caldara and midfielder Daan Heymans had come on for attackers Henry and Aramu, and Venezia ultimately managed to shut the door on Fiorentina and secure the result, 1-0.

It was Venezia’s first Serie A victory at Stadio Penzo since February 2002, which also came at Fiorentina’s expense, with Federico Magallanes and Pippo Maniero on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win.

With their second win of the Serie A campaign, Venezia rise to 15th in the league table. Next, they are set to face 14th-placed Sassuolo at Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore on Saturday evening.

Venezia 1-0 Fiorentina

Scorers: Aramu 36’

Venezia (4-1-2-1-2): Romero, Ebuehi, Svoboda, Ceccaroni, Haps, Busio, Vacca (Črnigoj 66’), Ampadu, Aramu (Caldara 87’), Johnsen (Okereke 50’), Henry (Heymans 87’)
Subs not used: Mäenpää, Molinaro, Mazzocchi, Tessmann, Forte, Sigurðsson, Kiyine, Peretz
Coach: Paolo Zanetti

Fiorentina (4-3-3): Terracciano, Odriozola (Benassi 46’), Milenković, Igor, Biraghi, Bonvaventura (Maleh 75’), Amrabat (Torreira 56’), Duncan (Pulgar 82’), Callejón (González 57’), Vlahović, Sottil
Subs not used: Quarta, Saponara, Terzić, Venuti, Rosati, Nastasić, Munteanu
Coach: Vincenzo Italiano