Venezia v Atalanta: the brainteaser

Picking up the Serie A threads after the International break, Atalanta will make a stopover a the Pier Luigi Penzo stadium for their 2024/25 Serie A MD8. The clash against the Orange-black-and-greens will raise the courtains on a literal domestic gauntlet for the Nerazzurri, bound to play 3 games within a week... Going in order, it's time to moor in Venice!

Which outfit has claimed the most wins in Venice?

With Sunday's game being the 51st-ever matchup between the two sides, while the overall balance states Atalanta upfront both in terms of wins (23, opposed to Venezia's count of 13) and goals scored (namely 70 against 52); what about the subtotals limitedly to the games played in the Venetian lagoon?

Despite the hosts leading by a narrow margin as far as nets scored are concerned (31 against 28), the two oufits are currently neck and neck in terms of wins in the "La Serenissima" city (with 8 triumphs each). 9 are imstead the draws completing the Penzo picture...

When did the host last brough the full three points home (quite literally in this case), though? Back in the 2003/04 Serie B season, when the "Lagunari" imposed themselves 1-0.

What was the outcome of our last game at the Penzo Stadium?

Saturday, April 23 2022. Pier Luigi Penzo stadium in Venice. Ball rolling at 15:00 CET as the 2021/22 Serie A MD34 fixture kicked off.

Upon casting anchor with all sights set on bucking the negative trend of three consecutive setbacks, Atalanta got off to a lively start as Djimsiti tried to break the deadlock but saw his 4-minute offensive sortie hissing inches wide. Then came the hosts' goal, eventually disallowed for offside after a VAR review. Palomino threatened next on 13 minutes, hitting the post from close range in the follow-up to Muriel's free-kick.

It fell then to Ceccaroni to deny Hateboer's date with the goal through a last-ditch goal-line clearance, by flicking the wingback's 22-minutes shot towards an otherwise open goal onto the crossbar. The Nerazzurri's pressing found its vindication in the 44th through Pašalić, who finalized Muriel's enlighted play: after dribbling past a few defender, the Cafetero took the shot which, upon rebounding off the bar, was then tapped in by SuperMario himself, who added one goal to his bounty after the hat-trick scored in the reverse fixture.

The second half opened up in the best way, as Zapata doubled Atalanta's lead after tapping in from Muriel's assist in the 47th minute. Musso had to parry Okereke's dangerous cross-shot on 52 minutes and Muriel almost made it 3-0 on 58 minutes when he smashed a left-foot angled drive onto the post. However, the Colombian found the back of the net in the 63rd minute by nodding in Zappacosta's perfect cross. Henry also hit the woodwork for Venezia on 68 minutes and the hosts pulled one back through Crnigoj in the 81st minute, which made it the final 1-3.

In a state of grace, Lucho kept on dazzling throughout the second half as well, first by favouring Zapata's goal with a delectable pass on 47 minutes before found the back of the net in the 63rd minute by nodding in Zappacosta's perfect cross to quell Venezia's retaliation (who still proved themselves dangerous on 52 minutes through Okereke) after hitting the post in the 58th in the meantime. As the hosts pulled one back in the 81st minute through Crnigoj, the match closed on a 1-3 win for the Nerazzurri.

When was the first ever Serie A Venezia v Atalanta game played?

As briefly stated in the opening, on Sunday the 26th away matchup between the two teams will take place, but when did the first-ever Serie A outing occur?

While our very first on-the-toad game in Sant'Elena dates back to the 1929/30 Serie B season (which culminated in a 1-1 draw on the then SS Serenissima's turf) and our first Coppa Italia game goes back to the 1937/38 campaign (namely, to the RO16 tie resulting on another 1-1 draw with Fornasaris being the Nerazzurri scorer); we ought to travel back (or rather flash forwards depending on the povs) to the 1940/41 Serie A MD21.

And what about the outcome? Yet another 1-1 draw, claimed at the threshold of full time as Vittorio Schiavi vanquished the hosts' lead with his 89-minute goal...