Venezia 2-1 Udinese: Kike Pérez's Goal Spoils Zanetti's Debut

In the Serie A match on November 6, 2026, Venezia defeated Udinese 2-1 at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, marking a disappointing start for Paolo Zanetti as the new head coach of Udinese. Zanetti, who assumed his role earlier that week after Kosta Runjaic was dismissed, faced his former club in a critical match as Udinese struggled at the bottom of the league.

Venezia, entering the match with a single victory this season against Napoli, aimed to climb out of the relegation zone. The early stages saw Venezia on the offensive, with Antoine Hainaut threatening Udinese's goalkeeper Maduka Okoye early on. Despite several opportunities, including a wasted chance by Nicolò Zaniolo, the first half concluded without goals.

Udinese had a chance to take the lead early in the second half when Keinan Davis found himself face-to-face with Venezia's goalkeeper, Filip Stanković, but the goalkeeper's impressive save denied him. Venezia capitalized on their momentum in the 54th minute when Toma Bašić scored from a cross by Hainaut. However, Udinese quickly equalized through an own goal by Matías Moreno, confirmed after a lengthy VAR review for Zaniolo's position during the buildup.

Venezia regained their lead on 65 minutes when Kike Pérez struck an impressive long-range shot into the top corner after receiving a pass from Pasquale Mazzocchi. Following Pérez's goal, Mazzocchi was forced off the field due to injury, prompting Udinese to seek an equalizer. Stanković continued to excel in goal, saving a long-range effort from Giorgi Chakvetadze.

As the match progressed, Venezia nearly sealed the victory with a few more attempts, including a blocked shot by Akor Adams which was ruled offside with just nine minutes remaining. The final score, 2-1, lifted Venezia off the bottom of the table, while Udinese remained in last place.

Looking ahead, Venezia will visit Juventus on November 22 at 12:30 CET, while Udinese will travel to Bologna at 15:00 CET.