Atalanta got back on track with Luis Muriel netting one and creating two, including for Duvan Zapata’s return to the scoresheet, but it’s an eighth consecutive defeat for Venezia.

Watch the highlights here.

Serie A Highlights: Venezia 1-3 Atalanta

Both sides were in dismal form going into this weekend. La Dea lost three on the bounce for the first time under Gian Piero Gasperini’s tenure and crashed out of the Europa League quarter-final, with Ruslan Malinovskyi, Giuseppe Pezzella, Rafael Toloi, Josip Ilicic and Joakim Maehle out of action. The Lagunari had Sofian Kiyine and Ridgeciano Haps suspended, Sergio Romero, Tyronne Ebuehi, Antonio Vacca and Marco Modolo injured.

There was a huge scare in the opening five minutes for Atalanta, as after Berat Djimsiti drilled just wide, Thomas Henry’s diving header met a Mattia Aramu cross from the left, but VAR showed he was offside.

Serie A Liveblog: Inter-Roma, Venezia-Atalanta, Torino-Spezia, Verona-Sampdoria

A combination of Giorgio Scalvini and Jose Luis Palomino tried to bundle a set play over the line from point-blank range, only finding the upright, while Luis Muriel fired inches wide on the Duvan Zapata assist.

Hans Hateboer thought he’d scored when allowed a control and half-volley at the back post, but was denied by the Pietro Ceccaroni goal-line clearance on 22 minutes.

The deadlock was finally broken just before half-time with a bit of luck, as Muriel dribbled past three players and went to roll across, it was deflected by Ethan Ampadu to ricochet off the crossbar and into the path of Mario Pasalic’s tap-in.

Straight after the restart, Muriel created another goal, this time shrugging off Michael Svoboda down the left and pulling back from the by-line for Duvan Zapata to tap in from three yards.

Venezia woke up, Juan Musso tested by David Okereke at the near post and Aramu’s free kick just over the bar, but Muriel was only denied 3-0 by the base of the far post with his left-foot strike on a Pasalic assist.

Muriel eventually did get his deserved goal, spreading the play down the left for Davide Zappacosta and getting into position to nod in the return cross from six yards.

Venezia also struck the frame of the goal with Henry’s looping header that bounced off the far post into the arms of Musso.

Jeremie Boga gave the ball away cheaply twice in quick succession, allowing Nsame to thread through for Domen Crnigoj to hit a rocket into the near top corner and give Venezia a consolation goal.

Venezia 1-3 Atalanta

Pasalic 44 (A), Duvan Zapata 47 (A), Muriel 63 (A), Crnigoj 80 (V)

4 thought on “Serie A | Venezia 1-3 Atalanta: Muriel inspires Zapata”
  1. Italian coaches are the problem?? It is getting beyond a joke now. Something has to be done about this and the stadiums are terrible

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