MODENA, Italy (Interstat) — Venezia opened its Serie B campaign with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Modena on Saturday, snatching a stoppage-time winner to defy pregame projections at Stadio Alberto Braglia.

The visitors, who began the match as slight underdogs according to statistical models, overturned a first-half deficit with two second-half goals, the decisive strike coming deep into added time to stun the home supporters.

The match, played on Dec. 20, 2025, saw Modena control early proceedings. The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Modena substitute John Yeboah, who had entered the fray earlier, found the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. The goal aligned with the pregame analytics from Interstat, whose ELO system gave Modena a 50.60 percent probability to win and whose simulator had projected a 1-1 draw.

Venezia’s response was fueled by its own bench. After a flurry of yellow cards to both sides in the second half — including bookings to Venezia substitutes Joël Schingtienne and Antoine Hainaut and Modena’s Gianluca Busio and Simone Santoro within an 18-minute span — the visiting team found an equalizer. In the 74th minute, another substitute made his mark as Antonio Casas leveled the score at 1-1, assisted by Schingtienne.

As the match entered its final moments, seeming to trend toward the projected draw, Venezia delivered a final blow. In the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, forward Francesco Di Mariano completed the turnaround, scoring the winning goal to seal a 2-1 result for the lagoon club. The assist was credited to midfielder Simone Santoro.

The victory immediately separated the two sides in the early Serie B table. Venezia’s season record in the competition improved to one win and no losses, while Modena’s record fell to no wins and one loss. The records across all competitions for both clubs mirrored those marks.

Key performances overwhelmingly came from substitutes, with Venezia’s Casas and Modena’s Yeboah each scoring crucial goals off the bench. The game-winning assist from Santoro, a midfielder, proved vital in the final sequence. The result served as an early statement for Venezia, overcoming both a deficit on the road and pregame statistical forecasts to start the season with maximum points. Modena, meanwhile, was left to rue a late defensive lapse that cost them a result after a promising start.