Stanković was everywhere at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Saturday, making nine saves to carry Venezia to a 1-0 win over Napoli that the hosts badly needed. Adams broke the deadlock four minutes after half-time, finishing off a Sohm assist, and Stanković did the rest, repelling a Napoli side that generated 2.46 expected goals and put 29 shots on or around goal. According to seattlepi.com, it was Venezia’s first win of the season after six previous winless outings, and Davide Nicola’s side made it count.
Key Moments
- 49′, Adams puts Venezia ahead, converting a pass from Sohm to give the hosts the lead four minutes into the second half.
- 54′, Napoli make a triple change: K. De Bruyne, Højlund, and Alisson Santos all come on as the visitors chase an equalizer.
- 68′, K. De Bruyne steps up to take a penalty but fails to convert, leaving Napoli’s best chance of leveling the match wasted.
Tactical Breakdown
Napoli dominated the ball from first whistle to last, finishing with 71 percent possession and 733 completed passes to Venezia’s 310. They created chances at will, firing 29 shots and earning 12 corners, but Stanković turned in a performance that will take some time to forget, stopping nine of the 10 shots Napoli put on target. The xG numbers told the story of a match Napoli should have won comfortably: 2.46 to 0.67.
Davide Nicola’s Venezia sat deep in a 3-5-2 that was always going to cede possession, but the plan was clear. Adams gave the block-and-counter approach its reward when Sohm threaded a pass into his path just after the restart. Napoli responded by rolling on K. De Bruyne, Højlund, and Alisson Santos at the 54-minute mark, a triple substitution designed to inject quality and pace in attack. The penalty miss at 68 minutes effectively killed the comeback before it could start, and a further double change around the 63rd minute, bringing in Politano, only added to Napoli’s growing frustration.
The numbers tell you Napoli outplayed Venezia by nearly every measure, but 12 blocked shots and a goalkeeper having the game of his season meant none of it translated to goals. The visitors have now lost three of their seven league games and sit ninth with 10 points, a reflection of the inconsistency that has plagued their early campaign.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Venezia’s first three points of the season do not erase the gap to safety, but they change the mood around a club that had gone six straight games without a win. Napoli, meanwhile, drop further back from the pacesetters at the top, sitting ninth on 10 points with a run of form that reads win, draw, win, loss across their last four outings, inconsistency they will need to address quickly.