Atalanta vs Venezia: Sarri’s Response Meets Stroppa’s Fight for a Fresh Start
Venezia’s immediate challenge was not simply to collect their first points of the Serie A campaign; it was to turn encouraging performances into a more reliable result. Their trip to Bergamo on Monday, 12 October, brought them up against an Atalanta side equally in need of a reset after three consecutive defeats. At the New Balance Arena, the contrast was clear before kickoff: Atalanta had the attacking resources to dictate the pace, but Venezia’s coach Giovanni Stroppa believed the international break had given his players an opportunity to sharpen their identity and rebuild confidence.
For Maurizio Sarri, the return to domestic competition came with a demanding autumn schedule ahead. Atalanta’s official pre-match notes highlighted the club’s return after the international break and the busy run of league and European fixtures approaching. The confirmed selection included Franck Kessié and Éderson in midfield, with Charles De Ketelaere and Eljif Elmas supporting a front line featuring Jonathan Rowe and Nikola Krstović. That selection offered Atalanta a combination of central power, movement between the lines and direct attacking runs.
Venezia’s official starting eleven took a different route. Filip Stanković started in goal behind a defensive unit featuring Marin Moreno, Juan Jesus and Relja Halhal. Antonio Hainaut, Kike Pérez, Tanner Tessmann’s midfield role was instead occupied by Hans Nicolussi Caviglia’s teammate in the central rotation, with Sohm and Basic also selected, while Thierry Correia supplied width on the right. Up front, Akor Adams and John Yeboah formed the two-man attack. The 3-5-2 gave Venezia a way to crowd central areas and send support toward the forwards, but it also demanded discipline when Atalanta moved the ball quickly from one flank to the other.
🚑 Confirmed Absences and Squad Availability
Atalanta
Atalanta’s official training report on 11 October confirmed that Isak Hien, Ibrahim Sulemana, Odilon Kossounou and goalkeeper Francesco Pompei were receiving treatment or following individual work. None appeared in the club’s official matchday squad. The report did not specify a diagnosis or a recovery timetable for each player, so no additional injury details are inferred here.
| Atalanta — Official Availability Report | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Player | Injury / Status |
| Out / Ruled Out | Isak Hien | Received treatment and worked in the gym on 11 October; absent from the matchday squad. Specific diagnosis not stated in the cited report. |
| Out / Ruled Out | Ibrahim Sulemana | Followed an individual training programme; absent from the matchday squad. Specific diagnosis not stated in the cited report. |
| Out / Ruled Out | Odilon Kossounou | Received treatment on 11 October; absent from the matchday squad. Specific diagnosis not stated in the cited report. |
| Out / Ruled Out | Francesco Pompei | Received treatment on 11 October; absent from the matchday squad. Specific diagnosis not stated in the cited report. |
Venezia
Venezia’s pre-match availability updates identified several players who would not feature. The club’s public pre-match information described Adorante, Busio, Sverko and Franjic as long-term absentees, while Mazzocchi and Bella-Kotchap were also unavailable for this fixture. The cited pre-match report did not give specific diagnoses or recovery dates for all six players.
| Venezia — Official Availability Report | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Player | Injury / Status |
| Long-Term / IR | Andrea Adorante | Listed among Venezia’s long-term absentees before kickoff. |
| Long-Term / IR | Gianluca Busio | Listed among Venezia’s long-term absentees before kickoff. |
| Long-Term / IR | Mato Sverko | Listed among Venezia’s long-term absentees before kickoff. |
| Long-Term / IR | Francesco Franjic | Listed among Venezia’s long-term absentees before kickoff. |
| Out / Ruled Out | Pasquale Mazzocchi | Reported unavailable for the match; a specific diagnosis was not stated in the cited pre-match report. |
| Out / Ruled Out | Armel Bella-Kotchap | Reported unavailable for the match; a specific diagnosis was not stated in the cited pre-match report. |
🟢 The Official Starting Teams
Atalanta — 4-2-3-1
| Atalanta — Confirmed Starting XI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Role |
| Goalkeeper | Marco Carnesecchi | Goalkeeper |
| Defender | Raoul Bellanova | Right-back |
| Defender | Thomas Kristensen | Centre-back |
| Defender | Giorgio Scalvini | Centre-back |
| Defender | Davide Zappacosta | Left-back |
| Midfielder | Franck Kessié | Central midfield |
| Midfielder | Éderson | Central midfield |
| Attacking midfielder | Eljif Elmas | Attacking support |
| Attacking midfielder | Charles De Ketelaere | Central creative role |
| Forward | Jonathan Rowe | Attacking forward |
| Forward | Nikola Krstović | Centre-forward |
Venezia — 3-5-2
| Venezia — Confirmed Starting XI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Role |
| Goalkeeper | Filip Stanković | Goalkeeper |
| Defender | Marin Moreno | Centre-back |
| Defender | Juan Jesus | Centre-back |
| Defender | Relja Halhal | Centre-back |
| Wing-back | Antonio Hainaut | Right flank |
| Midfielder | Kike Pérez | Central midfield |
| Midfielder | Tanner Tessmann | Central midfield |
| Midfielder | Sohm | Central midfield |
| Midfielder | Basic | Central midfield |
| Wing-back | Thierry Correia | Right-sided wide role |
| Forward | Akor Adams | Striker |
| Forward | John Yeboah | Striker |
🗞️ The Pre-Match Message from Bergamo and Venice
Stroppa’s comments on 10 October offered the clearest indication of Venezia’s approach. He said the international break had allowed the team to recover several players and work intensively during the final week. He also described Atalanta as a high-quality opponent whose league position did not fully reflect the performances they had produced. His emphasis was on collective work, attention to small details and improving the numbers that were hurting Venezia in the standings.
Atalanta’s official preview focused more on the return to competition, the history of this fixture and the busy schedule that awaited the club. The two sides had last met in Bergamo in March 2025, when the league match finished goalless. The club’s pre-match notes also highlighted Mario Pašalić’s record of five goals against Venezia, although he began this match on the bench. Those historical details added context without changing the central issue facing Sarri’s side: finding a more convincing performance after a difficult run.
Five Tactical Details Worth Watching
- Atalanta’s right flank: Bellanova and the players ahead of him could stretch Venezia’s defensive line and create room for central combinations.
- Kessié and Éderson: Their ability to protect possession and win second balls would be important if Venezia tried to disrupt the home side’s rhythm.
- Venezia’s wing-backs: Hainaut and Correia had to balance attacking support with the responsibility of tracking Atalanta’s wide runners.
- The two-striker partnership: Adams and Yeboah offered Venezia a direct target and a possible outlet when the team regained possession.
- The first defensive mistake: Both teams entered the contest under pressure, making concentration and decision-making in their own penalty areas especially important.
A Test of Composure as Much as Quality
Atalanta had the stronger collection of attacking options on paper, but that alone could not guarantee control. Sarri needed his midfield to connect possession with the forward line while preventing Venezia from finding easy routes into transition. For Stroppa, the task was to turn the improvement he had seen during training into a disciplined away performance, with Adams and Yeboah supported rather than isolated. The pre-match evidence pointed toward a contest in which patience, compact defending and the quality of the final pass would matter as much as individual talent.
| ⚽Full Match | |
|---|---|
| 🥅 Watch | Server #1 |
| ⚽Highlights | |
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| 🥅 Watch | Server #1 |
