Atalanta 3-1 Venezia — Atalanta continued their push at the sharp end of the Serie A table with a controlled 3-1 win over Venezia at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, sealed by a brace from Ademola Lookman and a decisive second-half header from Charles De Ketelaere. The hosts were the better side for long stretches, but Venezia's stubborn resistance and a well-taken equaliser made this a genuine contest until the final 20 minutes, when Atalanta's superior depth and pressing intensity finally told.

Match overview

The game followed a familiar pattern for Atalanta at home: early territory, aggressive pressing high up the pitch, and a back three pushing almost to the halfway line to squeeze the visitors into their own half. Venezia, set up in a compact 4-4-2 out of possession, defended deep and looked to break through quick transitions down the flanks. For half an hour it worked well enough — the visitors kept their shape, blocked the central lanes and forced Atalanta into hopeful crosses.

What separated the teams was the quality of the final action. Atalanta created clearer chances, won more second balls in midfield, and finished the contest with a far healthier expected-goals profile. Venezia, for their part, showed exactly why they are difficult to put away: organised, disciplined and dangerous on the counter, they scored from their best moment of the match and stayed within one goal until the closing stages.

Key moments

• 12' — Atalanta 1-0 (Ademola Lookman): A sharp turn and pass from De Ketelaere released Lookman in behind the Venezia back line, and the Nigerian winger finished low across the goalkeeper with his left foot.
• 34' — Venezia equalise (Nicholas Pierini): Against the run of play, Venezia won the ball in midfield and Pierini curled a first-time effort into the far corner from the edge of the box. A reminder of how quickly the visitors can punish a loose pass.
• 41' — Big save at the other end: Venezia's goalkeeper produced a strong low stop to deny a close-range effort from the Atalanta front line, keeping the score level at the interval.
• 58' — Atalanta 2-1 (Charles De Ketelaere): Davide Zappacosta overlapped down the right and whipped in a cross that De Ketelaere met with a glancing header at the near post.
• 72' — Disallowed effort: Atalanta had the ball in the net again from a set-piece scramble, only for the flag to go up for offside after a lengthy check.
• 81' — Atalanta 3-1 (Ademola Lookman): Venezia pushed bodies forward in search of an equaliser, Atalanta turned the ball over in midfield, and Lookman raced clear to slot home his second of the night and settle the result.

Tactical story

Atalanta's 3-4-2-1 shape gave them natural overloads in wide areas, and the wing-backs were effectively auxiliary wingers for much of the evening. By pinning Venezia's full-backs deep, the hosts created space between the lines for De Ketelaere, who drifted into pockets and repeatedly linked play with the front two. Marten de Roon and Ederson controlled the rhythm in midfield, screening the back three and recycling possession quickly whenever moves broke down.

Venezia's plan was never going to be about dominating the ball. Their best moments came when they won possession in the middle third and attacked immediately, and their equaliser was a textbook example of that approach. The problem was sustainability: the deeper they defended, the more corners and second-phase attacks they conceded, and Atalanta's second goal came precisely from that kind of sustained pressure down the right. Once the hosts led again, Venezia had to open up, and the third goal followed naturally.

Standout players

• Ademola Lookman (Atalanta): Two goals, constant threat in one-v-one situations, and the pace to punish a tiring defence. A complete attacking performance.
• Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta): The creative hub — an assist, a goal and a stream of intelligent runs between Venezia's midfield and defensive lines.
• Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta): Endless running on the right flank and the assist for the crucial second goal.
• Nicholas Pierini (Venezia): Venezia's brightest outlet, rewarded with a fine finish and a handful of threatening counter-attacks.
• Gianluca Busio (Venezia): Tireless in midfield, pressing and covering ground even as the game slipped away in the final quarter.

What it means for the Serie A table

The three points lift Atalanta firmly into the upper reaches of the Serie A standings and keep them in the conversation among the sides chasing Champions League qualification — and, on this evidence, more than t