Lecce beat Venezia 2-0 in the first round of Serie A's regular season at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo on Saturday. The visitors took the lead just after the break when O. Gorter scored in the 46th minute, and Tiago Gabriel added a second in the 80th to secure the win. Venezia had dominated possession but could not find the back of the net.
The match started nervously with Kialonda Gaspar picking up a yellow card in the third minute. Venezia pushed early and had a goal disallowed by VAR in the 16th minute — Thierry Correia's effort was ruled out. The hosts created plenty but the visitors defended resolutely, with Lecce's goalkeeper making six saves to keep them in the game.
After the interval, Lecce changed their approach. Gorter scored in the 46th minute to take the lead, and the visitors saw it out despite Venezia's dominance. A second VAR check in the 76th minute ruled out T. Basic for offside, a moment that might have shifted the momentum. By then, Venezia had already switched off at a set piece and paid the price.
The statistics told the story of a match decided in three moments rather than sustained pressure. Venezia held 71 percent possession, registered 17 shots with seven on target, and registered an expected goals figure of 2.05. Lecce managed just 29 percent possession, fired 11 shots with five on target, and hit an xG of 2.7 — a clear indication that chances went begging for the hosts.
Venezia sit 18th in the table after two games, with zero points from zero wins, zero draws, and two losses. Lecce move up to 13th place with three points from one win and one defeat. The result extends Venezia's winless run to five matches across all competitions, while Lecce's victory followed a disappointing 0-2 loss to Palermo earlier in August.
