Franck Kessié marked his return to Italian football with an opening goal as Atalanta claimed a convincing 3-1 victory over Venezia at the Gewiss Stadium.
Atalanta entered the encounter seeking to recover from three consecutive Serie A defeats and made an emphatic start, taking the lead just four minutes into the contest.
Nikola Krstović provided the assist, threading a perfectly weighted pass through the Venezia defence for Kessié, who raced through on goal before delicately lifting the ball over goalkeeper Filip Stanković.
The early breakthrough gave Atalanta the momentum, and Krstović quickly took centre stage with two goals of his own to put the hosts firmly in control.
The forward struck again in the sixth minute before completing his brace in the 30th minute, giving Atalanta a commanding 3-0 advantage and leaving Venezia with a difficult task.
Venezia managed to reduce the deficit just before the interval, with Antoine Hainaut finding the net to offer the visitors a glimmer of hope heading into the second half.
However, Atalanta maintained control after the break, managing their advantage to see out the contest and secure all three points.
The victory provided a timely response to their recent struggles, ending their losing run and restoring confidence within the team.
For Kessié, the opening goal was a significant moment, as the midfielder demonstrated his attacking quality with a composed finish to set Atalanta on their way to an important victory.
