Serie A 21/22: Venezia 1-1 Torino

Looking to stop the bleeding after consecutive losses to Spezia and Milan, Venezia returned to Stadio Penzo on Monday night to face Torino. After going down a goal early into the second half, things could have gone from bad to worse. But Venezia would show poise and resolve, fighting back with a late equalizer to secure an important point in Giornata 6 of the 2021/22 Serie A season.

Playing their third match in eight days, Venezia manager Paolo Zanetti would make six changes to the side that lost to Milan at San Siro on Wednesday night, and he would modify the team’s shape as well, switching from their typical 4-3-3 for the first time this season to a 4-4-2, with David Okereke and Dennis Johnsen starting up front. Among the team changes, Sofian Kiyine was handed his full debut for the club, lining up in midfield alongside Gianluca Busio and Domen Črnigoj, while Michael Svoboda came in to partner Pietro Ceccaroni in central defense after regular starter Mattia Caldara was a late scratch.

From the start, the visitors would control the ball, while Venezia were content to absorb and counter, looking to attack the wide spaces between the wing-backs and center-backs in Torino’s 3-4-3 formation.

An energetic Okereke was a threat early, running in behind or right at Torino’s defense. In the 13th minute, the Nigerian would create the game’s first chance with a solo effort, turning his marker inside out on the right side before cutting back onto his left foot and shooting just wide of the far post. Four minutes later, Črnigoj latched onto a cleverly dinked ball from Johnsen, charged down the right wing to the byline, and put in a perfect cross for Okereke, who had ghosted away from his defender and had a free header from close range, but he sent it just over the bar.

In the 25th minute, Stadio Penzo erupted when a streaking Johnsen collected a pass from Pasquale Mazzocchi and unleashed an unstoppable strike with the outside of his right foot past Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić — but the offside flag was raised. Although the goal was disallowed, it demonstrated how quick and dangerous Venezia could be on the counter-attack.

Torino were set up to play a siege of crosses from wide areas, and Venezia’s backline, with the towering Svoboda and the dependable Ceccaroni in the middle, were up to the task. In the 38th minute, Venezia would add another defensive presence, as A.J. Vacca was forced off with an injury, and Zanetti chose to send on Wales international and Chelsea loanee Ethan Ampadu for his club debut in a holding midfield role.

By half-time, Torino had 61 percent possession and four shots, but no real threat. Meanwhile, Venezia did not manage to register a shot on target in the first half, but there was a sense of genuine promise in their attack, through the combination of Okereke and Johnsen.

Venezia lined up to attack the Curva Sud end in the second half, hoping for a boost from their supporters. But the opening goal would come in the opposite direction.

In the 56th minute, Torino defender Koffi Djidji chipped a long pass over the top of the defense to right-wingback Wilfried Singo, who raced to the byline and found midfielder Josip Brekalo’s late run into the box for a tap-in goal.

Zanetti would respond by making a key substitution and adjusting his shape. Črnigoj’s physicality was sacrificed for Aramu’s creativity, and with the change, Busio and Ampadu shifted into a two-man midfield, Kiyine and Aramu were urged further forward to work between the lines, and Okereke and Johnsen would continue to wreak havoc up front.

Zanetti’s counterpart Ivan Jurić made two defensive substitutions in the 72nd minute — bringing on Mërgim Vojvoda for Singo and Rolando Mandragora for Tommaso Pobega — and the visitors began to sit deeper, as Venezia more aggressively probed for a way through to goal.

In the 78th minute, Venezia’s risk forward met its reward. Kiyine, taking a feed from Ampadu, spotted Johnsen making a diagonal run from right to left and played a delicate ball into his stride. At full speed, the Norwegian took a touch and brilliantly backheeled for an onrushing Okereke, who was immediately tackled from behind by Djidji. After a VAR check, Venezia were awarded a penalty, and Djidji was sent off.

Aramu stepped up to the spot and calmly netted his first Serie A goal against his boyhood club.

Suddenly, back on level terms and with Torino a man down, Venezia felt like the favorites to find a winner, with more than 10 minutes remaining.

But in the last minute of injury time, disaster nearly struck. After a Kiyine free-kick was stopped by Milinković-Savić, Venezia over-committed on the rebound to punch in a winner, and Torino broke free the other way.

The ball moved to Mandragora, who found himself dribbling from the midfield line all alone and in on goal. Ceccaroni made a last-ditch attempt to tackle Mandragora from behind, which missed but slightly slowed down his run and perhaps altered the shot, which was still driven hard on goal, but Venezia ‘keeper Niki Mäenpää slid out and made a massive save.

As Mäenpää fell on the ball, full-time was called, securing an important point for Venezia, and avoiding another late heartbreak reminiscent of their home loss to Spezia on a 95th-minute winner in Giornata 4.

Now with four points in tow from six matches, 18th-place Venezia will travel to 19th-placed Cagliari for a Friday night fixture before the international break.

Venezia 1-1 Torino
Scorers: Brekalo 56’, Aramu 78’ (P)

Venezia (4-4-2): Mäenpää, Mazzocchi, Svoboda, Ceccaroni, Schnegg (Ebuehi 65’), Busio (Fiordilino 86’), Črnigoj (Aramu 65’), Vacca (Ampadu 38’), Kiyine, Okereke, Johnsen (Henry 87’)
Subs not used: Molinaro, Tessmann, Forte, Modolo, Heymans, Peretz, Neri
Coach: Paolo Zanetti

Torino (3-4-2-1): Milinković-Savić, Djidji, Bremer, Rodriguez, Singo (Vojvoda 72’), Pobega (Mandragora 72’), Lukić, Ansaldi, Linetty (Baselli 58’), Brekalo (Zima 79’), Sanabria
Subs not used: Berisha, Verdi, Kone, Warming, Rincón, Gemello, Buongiorno
Coach: Ivan Jurić