Udinese made the most of lax Venezia defending with Ignacio Pussetto, Gerard Deulofeu and Nahuel Molina to inflict a 3-0 defeat on the Lagunari.
This was a Friuli-Venezia-Giulia derby and probable early relegation dogfight, with the visitors missing Niki Maenpaa and Mattia Aramu, but Domen Crnigoj, Pasquale Mazzocchi, Marco Modolo and Antonio Vacca returned.
Venezia should’ve opened the scoring after six minutes when debutant Thomas Henry sent Dennis Johnsen clear through the middle, but Marco Silvestri made a decisive save.
At the other end, Luca Lezzerini in his first start after months of injury got down quickly to fingertip the Tolgay Arslan angled drive inches wide.
Udinese took the lead on the counter when Nahuel Molina burst down the right, his cross finding Ignacio Pussetto fairly unmarked to chest and volley in with his right boot from 12 yards.
After the restart, David Okereke dribbled through defenders to force a fingertip save from Silvestri, while Pussetto had the ball in the net after he’d been flagged offside on the rebound from a saved Jean-Victor Makengo effort.
United States international Gianluca Busio made his Serie A debut, but was caught in possession for the second Udinese goal. Lezzerini did all he could on the first Arslan effort, only for Gerard Deulofeu to turn in the rebound.
It should’ve been 3-0, Lezzerini making a desperate save on Pussetto’s header from point-blank range moments later.
The third did eventually arrive deep into stoppages with another cheap give-away in midfield, Jens Stryger-Larsen threading through for Molina to smash one in off the underside of the bar.
Udinese 3-0 Venezia
Pussetto 28 (U), Deulofeu 70 (U), Molina 94 (U)