A dramatic start to both Napoli and Venezia’s Serie A seasons saw the Partenopei come out with a 2-0 win after an animated contest at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Goals came from a Lorenzo Insigne penalty and an Eljif Elmas finish, but the tension had begun when striker Victor Osimhen was sent off, perhaps harshly, early on in the game, followed by an injury to Piotr Zielinski.
Napoli’s patience would be rewarded with a penalty, though Insigne missed it. The Euro 2020 winner eventually got a second chance from the spot on the hour mark and gave Napoli the lead.
Elmas followed up ten minutes later with a brilliant low finish from the edge of the box to confirm the hard-fought victory.