Venezia just dropped a brutal 0-2 loss to Lecce, a result that feels like a total gut-punch given how the game went down. Lecce snatched both their goals completely against the run of play in the second half, and Venezia had **two** goals disallowed. This isn’t just a loss, it’s a huge early blow in what’s shaping up to be a serious relegation battle.
Venezia’s Heartbreak: Goals Wiped Out and Missed Chances
Venezia, fresh off winning the Serie B title last season and a 3-2 Coppa Italia win over Modena, looked ready to roll in this Serie A opener. Antoine Hainaut had an angled drive skim the far post early on. Then, John Yeboah set up Thierry Correia for what should’ve been the opener, but VAR ruled it out because the ball hit Correia’s hand in the buildup. Wladimiro Falcone had to make a save on a Yeboah counter-attack, and Gianluca Busio put on a show, dribbling past four defenders, only to bend his finish inches wide. Seriously, how many chances do you need? They were playing with fire, and almost got burned even earlier when Lassana Coulibaly hooked a corner and smashed it against the base of the back post. With Andrea Adorante and Marin Sverko injured, and Matias Moreno only fit for the bench, Venezia needed to capitalize on those moments.
Lecce’s Opportunism: Striking Against the Run of Play
Lecce’s summer was rough, dealing with the Lameck Banda contract dispute and Medon Berisha’s serious injury, plus a 2-0 Coppa Italia exit to Palermo. But they showed up in the second half. Literally, moments after the restart, Armel Bella-Kotchap’s weak clearance landed right at Olaf Gorter’s feet on the edge of the area. Gorter scuffed it, but it somehow found its way through a sea of legs and into the far bottom corner for the lead. Unbelievable luck. A crucial tackle by Bella-Kotchap saved them from a Willem Geubbels chance, and Falcone made a huge reaction save on a Bartol Franjic header. But Venezia’s nightmare wasn’t over. Toma Basic had the ball in the net on 75 minutes, but the offside flag went up, and VAR confirmed it. That’s two goals taken off the board! To add insult to injury, Filip Stankovic made an error, leaving him stranded for a Santiago Pierotti lob that Busio cleared off the line, but on the very next short corner, Danilo Veiga stood up the cross for Tiago Gabriel to head home at the back post. Ouch.
This is a brutal way for Venezia to start their top-flight return. Two disallowed goals and two goals against the run of play? That’s gotta sting. For Lecce, this is a massive three points, stealing a victory they probably didn’t fully earn, but hey, you gotta take ’em when you can get ’em. Venezia better regroup fast because in a relegation battle, every point counts, especially early on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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