Joel Pohjanpalo got an hour of playing time in the derby.
Joel Pohjanpalon and Jesse Joronen represented by Venezia took an important home win on Wednesday in the Italian Serie B. Home team Venezia beat Cittadella 2–0 at home.
In the Veneto derby, Pohjanpalo’s scoring streak was broken. However, the victory kept Venezia in the spot of the direct promoter, in second place. There is only one point behind Cremone, and Como is only two points away.
Venezia have won three of their last four matches. Instead, Cittadella’s miserable streak continues, as the defeat was already the seventh in a row for the Padova team.
The place came
The Finnish names sounded good in the mouths of the Venetians even before kick-off.
– Number one! Jesse!
– Joronen!
– With number 20! Captain, Joel!
– Bottom fire!
The other gable of Pier Luigi Penzo, curva, was filled with Venezia supporters in black jackets. The altercation with the stadium announcer turned out great.
Soon the gable exploded with an even louder scream. The corner kick that came in the third minute ended up in the visitors’ goal net. The Dane completed the hit Christian Gytkjär.
The song continued without a break, even though Venezia’s joys in the opening period were limited to the first few minutes.
Cittadella went in pursuit of an equaliser, and Venezia faced long periods without the ball. The ground fire collected pressure meters upstairs. Venezia defended on the bottom line of five. There was only one dangerous place. The header after the free kick was to surprise Jorone. The upper edge saved.
I Leoni always the head coach Paolo Vanoli i.e. with the feeling on the side of the field when his team’s opening play faltered. The supply chains were quickly broken when Venezia passed Cittadella on the top press line.
The opening period was already in extra time, when Pohjanpalo got the top spot. The pass that came to the corner of the box hit the run of the Finnish forward. The top name on the goal exchange tuned a right-footed shot, but the goalkeeper Elhan Kastrati stretched and kept guests engaged.
Joronen stretched
Jesse Joronen didn’t get into the heat, but stretched at important moments when Venezia led with a goal.
At the hour mark, Pohjanpalo was allowed to take the captain’s armband off his arm. Vanoli replaced the Finn, and at the same time, Pohjanpalo’s four-match scoring streak was broken.
– No! cheered the Italian journalist sitting on the upper mezzanine of the media gallery after seeing the exchange.
Vanoli probably spared the legs of his number one gun, because Venezia will play away against Como already on Sunday.
It was replaced Nicholas Pierinito whom before the match Vanoli wished success after a long dry period.
Almost before full time, Penzo felt a sense of relief. Large tote bag Michael Svoboda caught the ball near the sideline and bravely started to challenge towards the endline. Svoboda’s foot sent a low cross to the spot.
A Nordic became the hero of Venice. Icelander Bjarki Bjarkason ran from the background and managed to make it 2–0 curve in front. The party was ready.
At the same time, Venezia had to thank Joro. Suomalaisvahti blocked Cittadella’s top position at a critical moment before taking a two-goal lead.
Joronen’s clean sheet was ensured when the penalty kick was not whistled after the VAR review. The draw was the seventh of the season in Serie B for Rautjärvi-based Jorose.