Adams's 49th-minute strike ends Venezia's six-match league losing run.
Super Eagles striker Akor Adams scored the only goal as Venezia beat Napoli 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo. It was Venezia's first win of the season and the first match under new coach Davide Nicola, who replaced the sacked Giovanni Stroppa. Venezia opened the season with six straight league defeats, having scored five goals and conceded 16.
Favourites Napoli held most of the ball, yet in the first half they struggled to carve out many clear openings. Venezia had the only shot on target before the break, when Adams pounced on a Benoit Badiashile error and tested goalkeeper Alex Meret at the near post.
The breakthrough came four minutes into the second half, when a long ball from Switzerland international Simon Sohm put Adams through. He used his strength to shrug off Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani, cut inside and shot. The effort took a deflection off Rrahmani and wrong-footed Meret in the 49th minute. It was Adams's second league goal of the season.
The goal ended a four-game goal drought for Adams. He joined from Sevilla in the summer for a reported €17m and now has four goals in nine appearances across all competitions.
Having held back Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund following a 3-1 Champions League loss at Villarreal in midweek, Napoli sent both on as they chased an equaliser. Juan Jesus stopped Hojlund from scoring with a goal-line block in the 59th minute. Venezia subsequently conceded a spot-kick after Matias Moreno upended Hojlund. De Bruyne's weak attempt in the 68th minute was smothered on the line by goalkeeper Filip Stankovic. Stankovic made nine saves in all.
Adams spoke to the Venezia official website after the match and singled out the supporters who had stood by the team through a difficult spell:
"They have suffered alongside us, and we need their energy."
Adams also credited Nicola with the preparation. "He asked us to work on the intensity of our play," Adams said, adding that the coach had focused the side on collective work in defence and during transitions.
Venezia remain bottom with three points from seven matches, one behind Udinese, Monza, Genoa, Parma and Fiorentina. Daily Trust reported that Venezia's victory was their first over Napoli in any competition in 23 years, dating back to a 2-1 Serie B win in 2003. Failing to climb into the top four, Napoli remain ninth on 10 points following their third loss of the campaign.
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