Coppa Italia 21/22: Venezia 3-1 Ternana

Venezia resumed their 2021/22 Coppa Italia campaign on Tuesday afternoon with a Second Round match against newly promoted Serie B side Ternana, who arrived at Stadio Penzo after having ousted Bologna in the previous round. At the hour mark, the score was even at 1-1, with the plucky visitors presenting a proper challenge, but a triple substitution would soon turn the match, as Venezia promptly scored the go-ahead goal and added another as insurance en route to a 3-1 win. With the result, Venezia advanced into the Coppa Italia’s Round of 16 for the first time since 2003/04.

Though Ternana weren’t to be taken lightly, manager Paolo Zanetti used the cup tie as an opportunity to hand starts to several players who hadn’t been playing regularly in the league.

Leading the attack was last season’s top scorer Francesco Forte, supported by Icelandic duo Arnór Sigurðsson and Bjarki Bjarkason, who were both making their first starts of the season. In midfield, Daan Heymans and Dor Peretz lined up alongside Luca Fiordilino who was returning from a long injury layoff, and all three were making their first starts since the early weeks of the season.

Nevertheless, Venezia’s front six were in sync enough to control the ball, enjoying 57 percent possession through the first half.

Forte showed well as the lone target man — a role in which he excelled during Venezia’s promotion season — holding up the ball and carving out channels for attacks. But a killer ball in the final third was lacking.

Venezia’s best chances of the first half came through Sigurðsson firing on goal from just outside the area, but he was twice denied by ‘keeper Titas Krapikas, and the half would end scoreless.

To start the second half, Zanetti brought Tanner Tessmann into midfield, and Venezia were immediately dominant in the opening minutes, before opening the scoring in the 49th minute.

Receiving the ball in the center of the pitch, Heymans sprayed it wide to right-back Pasquale Mazzocchi, who made one of his trademark darting runs down the wing. As Venezia’s midfield charged forward, Mazzocchi played a sharp low cross into the box for Peretz, who displayed great vision and technique in neatly laying the ball off for an onrushing Heymans, who struck it well and found the back of the net.

But just four minutes later, Ternana would equalize on a set piece. After Simone Mazzocchi was brought down, his strike partner Stefano Pettinari stepped up to the free-kick and fired an unstoppable shot that went over the wall, kissed the underside of the bar, and pinging across the line. Venezia ‘keeper Luca Lezzerini, making his first start since September, was left with no chance.

Surely not wanting to risk extra time with a critical Serie A fixture ahead this weekend, Zanetti wouldn’t wait long to call on the cavalry. In the 60th minute, regulars Sofian Kiyine, Dennis Johnsen, and Domen Črnigoj entered the match, and the impact was instant, as Kiyine, Johnsen, and Črnigoj combined for the go-ahead goal in the 66th minute.

Taking a feed from Bjarkason, Kiyine played it wide to Johnsen, who picked out Črnigoj on the edge of the area. Under little pressure — as Kiyine had made a diagonal run to free up the space — Črnigoj took a touch and fired a powerful curler into the net.

Zanetti would make final change in the 76th minute, handing a first team debut to 19-year-old American striker Jack de Vries, who was rewarded for his stellar form with the Primavera side this season.

Five minutes later, Venezia put the game away. Once again, Johnsen was the provider, this time playing an outstanding outside-of-the-boot cross to the near post, with Forte making the run and poking it in from close range.

In the Round of 16, Venezia are set to face Atalanta on 12 January. Until then, their focus goes right back to the Serie A campaign, with a key match away to 14th-place Sampdoria on Sunday in Giornata 18.

Venezia 3-1 Ternana
Scorers: Heymans 49’, Pettinari 53’, Črnigoj 66’, Forte 81’

Venezia(4-3-1-2): Lezzerini, Mazzocchi, Svoboda, Modolo, Schnegg, Heymans (Johnsen 61’), Fiordilino (Tessmann 46’), Peretz (Kiyine 60’), Sigurðsson (de Vries 76’), Bjarkason (Črnigoj 60’), Forte
Subs not used: Mäenpää, Henry, Ala-Myllymäki, Busio, Ampadu, Makadji
Coach: Paolo Zanetti

Ternana (4-2-3-1): Krapikas (Vitali 83’), Ghiringhelli, Boben, Kontek, Celli (Diakite 38’), Proietti (Diakité 75’), Salzano, Defendi (Nesta 83’), Pettinari (Mazza 83’), Peralta, Mazzocchi
Subs not used: Donnarumma, Falletti, Capuano, Casadei, Martella
Coach: Cristiano Lucarelli