Venezia vs Dolomiti Bellunesi

Dagasso's stoppage-time free-kick just before the interval changed the mood. Venezia had dominated possession and created chances without reward; conceding a second goal before half-time would have left them chasing the game. Instead, the 1-1 scoreline allowed Stroppa to make a full-scale rotation at the break without chasing a deficit, and the fresh legs overwhelmed a tiring Bellunesi side in the second period.

Matteo Dagasso — the attacking midfielder operating behind the striker was Venezia's most dangerous player in the first half, forcing saves and then delivering the equaliser directly from a free-kick. Creatively and technically, he stood a class above the friendly intensity.

Gianluca Busio — Venezia's captain scored with a powerful strike from range and anchored the midfield after his introduction at half-time, providing both defensive cover and forward thrust.

Albion Rrahmani — the new signing needed only a brief cameo to find the net, a positive early sign for a striker brought in to add firepower for the Serie A campaign.

Luca Clemenza (Dolomiti Bellunesi) — the former Juventus and Parma midfielder opened the scoring with a technically excellent volley, reminding onlookers of his quality at Serie C level.

Venezia used 22 players across the 90 minutes, making any aggregate stat line unreliable. The significant story is that the first XI — which included seven players who were part of last season's promotion squad — controlled possession without clinical edge in the final third. The second XI, featuring new arrivals and younger players, scored three of the four goals and conceded once. That suggests depth is developing, but the first unit's sharpness in front of goal needs work before competitive fixtures begin.

This was Venezia's first public outing since securing promotion to Serie A for the 2026-27 season. Stroppa, who took over in the summer, is rebuilding the squad around a mix of promotion-winning core and new signings. The victory, while only a friendly, maintains momentum.

Dolomiti Bellunesi, who finished mid-table in Serie C last season, showed they can compete with higher-tier opposition in patches but were overrun once Venezia's second string introduced fresh legs.

Venezia's next pre-season fixture is against Vis Pesaro (Serie C) on Thursday 23 July at 17:30 local time, followed by a high-profile test against Turkish champions Galatasaray in Linz, Austria, on 27 July.

A textbook pre-season opener: Venezia shook off rust, gave minutes to the entire squad, and won despite a sluggish first half. The quality gap between the two sides told in the second period, and Stroppa will have learned more about his squad's depth than he would from a routine 4-0 win. The Galatasaray friendly in a week's time will be a far sterner examination.