Udinese 2–1 Venezia | Coppa Italia | 2 September 2026

Result Summary

Udinese secured a hard-fought 2–1 Coppa Italia victory over Venezia at the Bluenergy Stadium, with Vakoun Issouf Bayo delivering a decisive brace to overturn an early deficit. Venezia's Sebastiao Sagrado had threatened to spoil the occasion with a ninth-minute opener, but Kosta Runjaic's side showed admirable resilience to claim the win and advance in the competition.

Match Analysis

Venezia arrived with clear ambitions of controlling proceedings, and the statistics largely reflect that intent. Giovanni Stroppa's side enjoyed 65% ball possession and completed passes at an 89% success rate, comfortably outpassing Udinese's 78%. Their attack also registered 85 total attacks compared to Udinese's 73. Yet, as is so often the case in cup football, dominance on paper did not translate into the desired result.

The tone was set early when Sagrado broke the deadlock in the 9th minute with a composed right-foot finish, capitalising on a bright Venezia start. Just two minutes later, Udinese's Nicolò Bertola received a yellow card for a foul, adding early pressure on the hosts — and his struggles led to him being withdrawn at half-time, replaced by James Abankwah.

Despite the shaky opening, Udinese gradually asserted themselves where it mattered most — in front of goal. Bayo levelled matters in the 34th minute, converting a header from Mërgim Vojvoda's assist to restore parity before the break. It was a moment that shifted the psychological momentum entirely.

The second half belonged emphatically to Udinese. Bayo completed his brace in the 53rd minute, this time with a right-foot finish from a Keinan Davis assist, putting the hosts ahead for the first time. From that point, Udinese defended their lead with conviction. The stats underline their cutting edge — 8 shots on target versus Venezia's 4, and a dominant 8 corners to Venezia's 2, illustrating how effectively they converted their dangerous moments despite conceding possession.

A flurry of substitutions from both benches after the 70th minute — including Idrissa Gueye, Hassane Kamara, and Oier Zarraga Egaña for Udinese, and Lamine Dabo, Ridgeciano Haps, and Kornel Lisman for Venezia — failed to alter the scoreline. Venezia's late introductions of Akor Jerome Adams and Simone Panada could not unlock the Udinese backline, while Enzo Ebosse came on in the 85th minute to help the hosts see out the result.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast called for a 2–1 Udinese victory (Home win: 46%, Draw: 27%, Away: 27%) with a confidence rating of 54/100, and it proved to be a correct call in both result and scoreline. The low confidence rating was well-reasoned given Venezia's ability to sustain possession and generate volume in attack. That said, Udinese's superior efficiency in dangerous areas — 34 dangerous attacks against Venezia's 24 — and Bayo's clinical finishing aligned closely with the model's underlying logic.

Key Takeaways

• Bayo's clinical finishing was the defining factor; two goals from differing types of delivery highlights his all-round threat.
• Venezia's possession dominance proved hollow — high pass completion and attack numbers mean little without the shots on target to match.
• Udinese's willingness to absorb pressure and strike on the counter was effective throughout.
• Bertola's early booking and half-time withdrawal was a notable moment of disruption, though Abankwah's introduction stabilised the defence.
• Kosta Runjaic's side advance in the Coppa Italia with their tactical pragmatism fully vindicated.