Venezia–Napoli: Adams strikes, Stankovic saves De Bruyne penalty to give Venice first win

Akor Adams scored the goal, Filip Stankovic protected the win. Venice beat Napoli 1–0 on Saturday 17 October at the Pier Luigi Penzo stadium in the seventh round of Serie A. After six league defeats, the newly promoted side take their first three points in Davide Nicola's first match in the dugout. Napoli remain on 10 points after seven games.

Adams makes a through ball count

The Venetians held firm before striking in the 49th minute. Played in behind by Simon Sohm, Akor Adams won the duel before unleashing a deflected shot that beat Alex Meret. The Nigerian thus turned a game in which Napoli had more of the ball.

The move shows what a centre-forward can offer a side that is under territorial pressure: giving an outlet to long balls forward, standing up to contact and turning a chance into a goal. Adams did not need an avalanche of chances to influence the result. His goal should not, however, obscure what followed: Venice still had to defend for a long time to protect it.

Napoli pile up the numbers, Stankovic shuts out the comeback

The visitors finish with 70.7% possession, 29 shots to 9 and 10 shots on target to 4. They earned all 12 corners of the match. Their defeat is therefore not down to a lack of attacking situations. It comes from an inability to convert them, against a goalkeeper who played a major part in the outcome.

Massimiliano Allegri notably brought on Kevin De Bruyne, Rasmus Højlund and Alisson Santos in the second half. Napoli were awarded a penalty, but Stankovic saved De Bruyne's attempt. In such a tight game, the Belgian's miss from that big chance weighed heavily on the result.

The Venice goalkeeper also kept out efforts from open play, notably a shot from Stanislav Lobotka late on. The defence played its part: Juan Jesus cut out a dangerous situation in front of Højlund. The win therefore combines strong individual interventions with collective solidarity.

Our analysis: the heroics do not erase the pressure endured

Nicola immediately gets the result his team needed. Venice's compactness and their ability to stay in the game after taking the lead are encouraging foundations. But conceding 29 shots and a penalty rules out presenting this victory as a complete defensive masterclass. It also required an outstanding performance from the goalkeeper.

On Napoli's side, the numbers cannot serve as an automatic excuse. Creating chances is essential; turning them into a result remains the goal. Stankovic's display explains part of Napoli's frustration, without erasing the responsibility of the finishers or the vulnerability on Adams's goal.

SNA Man of the Match: Filip Stankovic

We pick Stankovic ahead of Adams. The striker gave Venice the lead; the goalkeeper stopped it from slipping away, particularly with his penalty save from De Bruyne. His influence was felt at several decisive moments, right to the end. Venice can build on this first win, provided they do not have to ask their last line of defence for such a succession of saves every week.