Bergamo’s Gewiss Stadium saw Franck Kessie open his scoring account for the season on Monday, setting Atalanta on the way to a 3-1 Serie A victory over Venezia. Maurizio Sarri’s side, sitting 10th, made short work of the division’s bottom club, whose difficult start now stands at six defeats from six matches.
Kessie, formerly of Milan and Barcelona, struck inside four minutes. Nikola Krstovic released him into the left side of the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly lifted his finish over the advancing Filip Stankovic.
Krstovic was the central figure in Atalanta’s first-half surge. The Montenegro international not only supplied Kessie’s opener but added goals in the seventh and 31st minutes to give the hosts a commanding advantage.
Antoine Hainaut brought Venezia back into the contest in the 37th minute, though the visitors could not turn that response into a recovery. Former Sevilla forward Akor Adams started for Venezia, but the lagoon club left Bergamo still without a point.
Atalanta’s evening ended with a late complication when Eljif Elmas was dismissed in the 89th minute, leaving the home side with 10 men. The result nevertheless keeps Sarri’s team moving upward from the middle reaches of the table.
Torino capitalise on Udinese error
Elsewhere in Italy, Torino defeated Udinese 2-1 to move ahead of their opponents in the standings, with Torino 12th and Udinese 15th. Daniel Bragança gave Torino the lead in the 36th minute before Sandro Kulenovic extended it after the interval, in the 67th.
Kulenovic’s goal came from a costly breakdown in the Udinese defence. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye collided with teammate Nicolo Bertola while attempting to clear a long ball, only to leave possession for the Croatian striker. Kulenovic controlled the loose ball with his chest and rolled it into an unguarded net.
