Serie A | Venezia 2-1 Udinese: Kike Pérez stunner spoils Zanetti’s debut

VENICE, ITALY - NOVEMBER 06: Jesper Karlstorm of Udinese Calcio during the Serie A match between Venezia FC and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on November 06, 2026 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Kike Pérez hit a superb long-range winner as Venezia beat Udinese 2-1 at the Penzo, spoiling Paolo Zanetti’s first game as Udinese coach against his former club and sending the Friuliani to the bottom of Serie A.

Zanetti was appointed earlier this week after Kosta Runjaic was sacked. Udinese had taken one point from their previous eight league games and went into this relegation six-pointer one point above Davide Nicola’s Venezia, whose only win of the season had come against Napoli last month.

Venezia started on the front foot, and Antoine Hainaut forced an early save from Maduka Okoye inside the area. Nicolò Zaniolo then wasted a good chance when he found space in the box and shot wide.

The hosts kept pushing. Juan Jesus headed a corner just over and Pasquale Mazzocchi curled a long-range effort inches wide. At the other end, Filip Stanković kept out Jurgen Ekkelenkamp. Hainaut had the best chance of the half when he collected a rebound and fired over, and it stayed 0-0 at the break.

Udinese pay the price as Venezia snatch three points

Udinese should have led early in the second half. Keinan Davis went one-on-one with Stanković inside the six-yard box, but the Venezia goalkeeper made a fine save to deny him.

It proved costly, as Venezia went ahead in the 54th minute. Hainaut crossed from the right and Toma Bašić finished low into the bottom corner.

The lead lasted only three minutes. Matías Moreno diverted the ball into his own net, and the equaliser stood after a long VAR check on Zaniolo’s position in the build-up.

Pérez restored the hosts’ lead in the 65th minute, picking up Mazzocchi’s pass and sending a left-footed shot from outside the box into the top corner, leaving Okoye with no chance.

Mazzocchi was forced off injured soon afterwards, and Udinese looked for a way back. Stanković saved well from substitute Giorgi Chakvetadze’s long-range shot. Venezia nearly made the game safe from a corner, when Moreno headed wide and Simon Sohm had a shot blocked, and Akor Adams had a goal ruled out for offside with nine minutes left.

The win lifts Venezia off the bottom, a point behind Monza. Zanetti’s Udinese drop to last place, and both sides return after the international break: Venezia visit Juventus on 22 November at 12:30 CET [11:30 GMT], while Udinese travel to Bologna at 15:00 CET [14:00 GMT].

Bašić 54, Pérez 65 (V), Moreno 57 og (U)

2nd half

Pasquale Mazzocchi		51'
Toma Basic (Assist: Antoine Hainaut)		53'
		57'		Matías Moreno
Kike Pérez (Assist: Pasquale Mazzocchi)		65'
		90+5'		Matteo Palma