On the canals of Venice, Davide Nicola’s first evening in charge brought Venezia the jolt they had been waiting for: a 1-0 win over Napoli, their first Serie A points after six straight defeats. Akor Adams scored the decisive goal, while Filip Stankovic denied Kevin De Bruyne from the penalty spot and then held firm through a fierce late Napoli assault.
A first lift under Nicola
Venezia had arrived at the match rooted to the foot of the table, without a point and searching for direction after Giovanni Stroppa’s dismissal. Nicola’s appointment gave the club from the city of St Mark’s Lion an immediate response, with a disciplined performance against opponents carrying their own early-season unease.
- Venezia began the day with six league losses from six matches.
- Nicola was taking charge for the first time following Stroppa’s departure.
- Napoli came into the fixture needing a result after an unsettled opening across Serie A and the Champions League.
- The defeat left Napoli with three wins, five losses and one draw in those competitions, their poorest start since 2009.
The opening half reflected the tension around both clubs. Napoli enjoyed more of the ball but struggled to turn possession into clear chances, while Venezia looked for routes forward through former Sevilla forward Adams and Ecuador international John Yeboah. There was little fluency before the interval, with both teams wary of the cost of another setback.
Adams finds the breakthrough
The match shifted four minutes after the restart. Adams worked space inside the penalty area and struck towards goal; his effort took a deflection off Amir Rrahmani, wrong-footing Alex Meret as it found the net.
Massimiliano Allegri responded by turning to players he had initially left out through rotation. Lorenzo Lucca, Giovane and Billy Gilmour made way for Rasmus Hojlund, Alisson Santos and De Bruyne, and Napoli soon began to establish a sustained presence around the home penalty area.
Stankovic stands against Napoli
Napoli’s clearest route back arrived in the 66th minute. Matias Moreno fouled Hojlund and the referee awarded a penalty. De Bruyne took responsibility, sending a low effort towards Stankovic’s left, but the Venezia goalkeeper read it correctly and made the save.
- De Bruyne’s missed penalty extended a difficult individual spell after an uneven start to the campaign.
- The Belgian has again faced scrutiny over his role under Allegri, as he had previously under Antonio Conte.
- Stankovic continued to repel Napoli efforts during the final half-hour, which was played largely under visiting pressure.
Venezia relied on resilience, physical work and carefully managed substitutions as Napoli pressed for an equaliser. Stankovic dealt with every shot that reached him in the closing stages, preserving the lead until the final whistle.
Different pressures after the final whistle
For Venezia, the result opened Nicola’s tenure with a much-needed victory and finally put points on the board. Napoli, meanwhile, left the lagoon with familiar attacking frustrations and another damaging result, increasing the attention on Allegri as the club attempts to arrest its troubled start.
