Serie A 21/22: Venezia 1-3 Lazio

Venezia played their first match of the calendar year back on 4 January — a 1-1 draw against Pisa at Stadio Penzo, which placed them eighth in the Serie B table.

Since then, with an entire organization grabbing an oar and rowing in the same direction, it’s been a historically productive 12 months on the lagoon — returning to Serie A for the first time in 19 years, renovating the second-oldest stadium in Italy for the top flight without losing its charm, and reshaping a roster that has come to include exciting young talents such as Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann while core players such as Pietro Ceccaroni, Dennis Johnsen, Domen Črnigoj, and several others were locked up on long-term contracts — to name just a few of the big markers.

Last night, Venezia closed out the year — and the first half of the 2021/22 Serie A season — playing host to Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio, and ultimately fell to the capital club, 1-3. Yet even in the loss, the degree of continual progress was evident, and that would be the key context. Until Lazio tacked on a third goal in the 95th minute, Venezia played toe-to-toe with a side that has already advanced to the UEFA Europa League knockout phase. And the fact that the result against such an opponent felt disappointing was a sign that this team is not just surviving a storm anymore, but rather has developed the belief that they can play in this league and impose themselves.

Despite starting on the front foot, Venezia were undone by an early goal for the second consecutive match, when former Barcelona and Chelsea forward Pedro received the ball on the right side of midfield and took off on one of his trademark mazy runs at goal.

Dribbling from right to left, the Spaniard skated by his markers, until he found a tight shooting angle to fire a low shot on his left foot. As it was hit with a quick trigger and pinpoint accuracy, the shot seemed to catch Venezia ‘keeper Sergio Romero a bit by surprise, rolling under his late dive and into the net.

With just three minutes gone, Venezia were already down, but they were hardly done. Playing in their 4-3-2-1 formation — with Francesco Forte, getting his first league start since October, as the target man — manager Paolo Zanetti’s men were tidy on the ball, passing with a slick 93 percent accuracy, and they produced a few half chances through the first 25 minutes.

Soon enough, the match opened up further into an end-to-end affair, and it was Venezia who were rewarded.

In the 30th minute, attacking midfielder Mattia Aramu controlled on the right wing before cutting onto his favored left foot and whipping in a cross to the near post. Forte, perfectly timing his run into space with Aramu’s feint, slid between two defenders and snapped off a perfect glancing header past ‘keeper Thomas Strakosha. It was a clinical finish, and it marked Forte’s first career goal in Serie A. “The realization of a dream,” as he would describe it after the match. And the two sides would remain even at 1-1 through 45 minutes.

Coming out of the break, Venezia had everything to play for. But in a bizarre moment, they would once again concede just three minutes into the half. In the 48th minute, Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi swung in a corner, and it would deflect off defender Francesco Acerbi’s shoulder and inside the far post. In celebration, Acerbi repeatedly tapped his shoulder, seeming to acknowledge that he didn’t know much about it, but that slight misdirection was enough for it to sneak in.

In response, Zanetti brought on Busio for A.J. Vacca and David Okereke for Sofian Kiyine, switching to a more aggressive 4-3-1-2 formation, with Forte and Okreke paired up front and Aramu in the creative role behind them.

In subsequent changes, he would also introduce Tessmann, Johnsen, and Anor Sigurðsson, eventually playing with three up front.

But while Venezia took over control of the ball and maneuvered into threatening areas, they ultimately would not manage a shot on target the rest of the way, as Lazio expertly absorbed the pressure.

In the 91st minute, Venezia’s hopes for a late equalizer were undercut when Tessmann was shown a straight red card for a challenge that mostly missed Lazio midfielder Luis Alberto but was deemed to be dangerous enough for the dismissal.

With a man advantage, Lazio would add an insurance goal in the 95th minute, when Luis Alberto — apparently no worse for wear from Tessmann’s challenge four minutes earlier — chested down a cross in the box and volleyed home.

At the midpoint of the season, Venezia now sit five points clear of the relegation zone. After the holidays, they will return to play with a six-pointer at last-place Salernitana in Giornata 20.

Venezia 1-3 Lazio
Scorers: Pedro 3’, Forte 30’, Acerbi 48’, Alberto 90+5

Venezia (4-3-2-1): Romero, Mazzocchi, Caldara, Ceccaroni, Ebuehi, Vacca (Busio 55’), Črnigoj (Tessmann 67’), Ampadu (Sigurðsson 74’), Kiyine (Okereke 55’), Aramu, Forte (Johnsen 74’)
Subs not used: Mäenpää, Svoboda, Modolo, Molinaro, Haps, Heymans, Peretz
Manager: Paolo Zanetti

Lazio (4-3-3): Strakosha, Marušić, Felipe, Acerbi, Radu (Lazzari 74’), Milinković-Savić, Cataldi (Leiva 67’), Bašić (Alberto 74’), Pedro, Zaccagni, Anderson (Anderson 80’)
Subs not used: Reina, Patric, Akpa Akpro, Romero, Moro, Furlanetto, Muriqi
Manager: Maurizio Sarri