Parma Comeback Denies Venezia Win in Serie A Basement Battle

Parma fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw with Venezia in a crucial relegation battle, with Hernani scoring the equalizer from the penalty spot.

Parma's 1-1 home draw with Venezia was met with jeers from their own fans, as the team's struggles continued in this relegation battle. Both teams converted penalties, with Joel Pohjanpalo and Hernani scoring for Venezia and Parma, respectively. The match was significant, with five points separating the two teams in the standings.

The game was marked by the absence of several key players for both teams. Parma was without Nahuel Estevez, Adrian Bernabé, Mateusz Kowalski, Alessandro Circati, Gabriel Charpentier, and Gianluca Di Chiara, but welcomed new signing Alessandro Vogliacco. Venezia, on the other hand, was missing suspended player Francesco Zampano, as well as injured players Michael Svoboda, Alfred Duncan, Giorgio Altare, Richie Sagrado, and Joel Schingtienne.

The match got off to an exciting start, with Matteo Cancellieri narrowly missing a goal for Parma in the opening minutes. However, it was Venezia who took the lead when John Yeboah was fouled by Mandela Keita in the box. The referee awarded a penalty, which Joel Pohjanpalo confidently converted to give Venezia the advantage.

Parma's lackluster first-half performance prompted coach Fabio Pecchia to make a triple substitution at halftime. The changes paid off, as Parma began to show more attacking intent. Drissa Camara, one of the substitutes, made an immediate impact, unleashing a powerful shot from distance that tested Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic.

Camara continued to cause problems for Venezia, testing Stankovic again with a strong finish. He then won a penalty for Parma by robbing Antonio Candela at the by-line. Although Pecchia was unhappy that Candela did not receive a second yellow card for the foul, the penalty allowed Hernani to score the equalizer from the spot.

The story of two penalties: #ParmaVenezia ends level ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/swSKZwkNYX

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 19, 2025

As the match intensified, both teams created scoring opportunities. Venezia's Doumbia forced a save from Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, while Stankovic made an impressive stop to deny Hernani's ferocious long-range free kick. Venezia also gave debutant Alessio Zerbin, signed from Napoli, a chance to make an impact. Zerbin quickly made his presence felt, sending Gaetano Oristanio through for a promising attack. Oristanio's angled drive found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed by VAR due to offside.