Fans, Firecrackers and Fate
One match remains: the Serie A promotion and Serie B relegation scenarios
This is simply the best season of Italian second-division football ever. So much happened on the penultimate day but where to begin?
How did Vicenza stage such an epic stoppage-time comeback to sink Lecce? Brescia and Benevento both stumbled out of the race for automatic promotion, Spal finally survived the drop with a big win over Frosinone and Perugia still dreams of PlayOff football.
How about a 103rd-minute cracker from Filippo Ranocchia to initiate proceedings?
Just as I was finalising the Lecce In Serie A cover, Vicenza pulled off the impossible with a come from behind miracle to resuscitate the Biancorossi’s season to cast doubt over relegation and promotion places.
by the spirit of Pablito
The Stadio Romeo Menti exploded after Filippo Ranocchia scored the winner in the 13th-minute of second-half stoppages as Vicenza defeated top-of-the-table Lecce 2–1.
Despite Gabriel Streffezza’s 69th-minute opener for the Salentini, the Lanerossi hit back with two goals in added time. Davide Diaw converted his sixth of the campaign, slotting the equalising penalty in the 94th-minute, followed by Ranocchia’s 25-yard strike to register his first-ever goal in Serie B football.
epic drama
There were fifteen minutes of added time after Nikita Contini, the Vicenza goalkeeper on loan from Napoli, was hit by a firecracker — thought to have been thrown by a Lecce supporter — and required treatment as Christian Brocchi was forced to replace him with Matteo Grandi.
According to Gazzetta.it, Lecce could play behind closed doors as punishment on Match Day 38.
nothing is certain but the unforeseen
Riccardo Meggiorini was then awarded a spot-kick in the 103rd-minute but had his effort it saved by Gabriel. However, the Lecce goalkeeper was adjudged to have dived too early so Davide Diaw felicitously retook the penalty and showed composure to level it at 1–1.
Azzurrini starlet, Ranocchia, then made history with his winner to pull the Venetians within striking distance of the PlayOuts. We will find out next weekend if the wild Vicenza celebrations came too soon.
The result sets up a breathtaking Match Day 38 encounter between Alessandria (16th on 34 points) and Vicenza (18th on 31) at the Moccagatta. Cosenza (17th on 32 points) owns the head-to-head (h2h) over Vicenza, Vicenza has it over Alessandria.
Therefore, Christian Brocchi’s side must win its third consecutive match to bring them level with the Grigi on 34 points. Cosenza would also be forced to take all three points at home against Cittadella.
Lecce was up for 25 minutes
Until that vicious Vicenza comeback, the city of Lecce was preparing for a saucy Saturday night of la Pizzica. Lecce still leads the League and holds the h2h over Monza (1 point behind), Brescia and Pisa, but not Cremonese (3rd and 3 points behind).
But is the script already written? Lecce hosts bottom-placed Pordenone on Match Day 38. How can Lecce miss out on direct qualification? If Cremonese beats Como, Monza beats Perugia and Lecce fails to win, that’s how.
it’s in Monza’s hands now
With a victory over Perugia in the last round, Monza will play in Serie A for the first time in its 109-year history. The Bagai celebrated an emphatic 3–0 win over direct rival Benevento at the Brianteo Stadium courtesy of a second-half Dany Mota brace and a Christian Gytkjaer penalty.
Having lost three of their past four and four points adrift of automatic promotion, Benevento holds the h2h over Pisa, Ascoli and Cremonese and could finish the season as high as 3rd or as low as 7th.
Pisa leaning towards second place…or seventh?
Pisa led Cosenza through a Michael Venturi own-goal but Daniele Liotti’s 79th-minute penalty threw a spanner in the works of the Nerazzurri’s Top 2 hopes.
It could have been different for Pisa but Giuseppe Sibilli’s long-range missile ricocheted off the crossbar.
With just one win in his past six games, Luca D’Angelo’s side holds the h2h over Monza and Cremonese, as well as Brescia. Victory over Frosinone on the final day could see Pisa directly promoted if Monza loses at Perugia and Cremonese fails to beat Como. Defeat could see them slip to 7th.
Cosenza has the home ground advantage against Cittadella and nothing short of success at the Marulla can guarantee the Wolves a PlayOut spot in the middle of May.
bottled by Brescia
Cittadella ended Brescia’s push for direct promotion with a 1–0 win at the Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato. The result may have been merely academic for Citta, but not so for their trusty right back, Tommaso Cassandro, who rammed home his first goal in professional football.
Brescia, winless in the past three matches, hosts Reggina next. La Leonessa has the h2h on Benevento, Ascoli and Cremonese and can finish as high as 3rd and as low as 7th. Cittadella will now have a say in the relegation battle when the Granata travels to Cosenza.
Ascoli is pecking away
Federico Baschirotti confirmed the Picchi’s PlayOff involvement, arriving off the bench to stun the Stadio Giovanni Zini with his 51st-minute diving header as Ascoli won away at Cremonese 1–0.
With the victory, Ascoli — with a h2h over Pisa — stretches the gap over Frosinone (8th) to four points and incredibly remains in contention for a 4th placed finish. The Woodpeckers will host Ternana.
Cremonese maintains the h2h over Lecce and can win its first Serie B title if Lecce loses to Pordenone and Monza fails to beat Perugia on the final day.
Eighth Place Still There To Be Taken
It was only a matter of millimetres as Ternana put a huge dent in Perugia’s chances, defeating the Grifoni 1–0 at the Stadio Libero Liberati. Leandro Chichizola was beaten in the 36th minute when Alfredo Donnarumma trickled a tricky finish over the line to climb to 14 goals for the term.
However, Spal played the best football of their season to win 3–0 in Ferrara against eighth-placed Frosinone with Lorenzo Dickmann, Marco Pinato and Salvatore Esposito all inscribed onto the scoresheet, effectively ending the Canarini’s three-game undefeated streak while securing the Biancazzurri’s second-division status for 2022/23.
Massimiliano Alvini holds the h2h over Fabio Grosso, so Frosinone must avoid defeat against Pisa next weekend. Perugia faces an uphill battle as they host Monza at the Stadio Renato Curi.
a new Serie B record
It was all about German Denis at the Stadio Oreste Granillo as the (surely) retiring 40-year-old scored in his first start of the season in Reggina’s 4–1 loss to Como.
At 40 years and 7 months, El Tanque becomes the oldest player to score in Serie B.
Both teams sat safely in mid-table so the contest was effectively a dead rubber. Therefore, Roberto Stellone paid tribute to the ex-Atalanta bomber who turned in at the near post to get his 5th Serie B goal, his 17th for Reggina and his 93rd in Italian football.
Reggina 1 Como 4: 20' Parigini (como), 43' Blanco (como), 51' Denis (R), 61' Cerri (como), 83' La Gumina (como).
The Lariani played some stellar football throughout the ninety minutes and deservedly took the points to end a four-match losing streak to leap above the Amaranti and Parma on the table.
Both Reggina and Como will play their part in deciding the fate of the Top 8 with games against Brescia and Cremonese respectively on MD38.
PlayOuts
Alessandria nicked a vital point, drawing 2–2 with Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, to keep the two-point buffer above Cosenza.
L’Orso led through a clinical Simone Palombi finish, only to fall behind as Elias Cobbaut and Franco Vazquez struck for the Crociati, and then get back on terms with nine minutes to go through the lovely left boot of Edoardo Pierozzi who netted his debut goal in Serie B.
*Congratulations to young Parma defender, Alessandro Circati, who supplied his first assist by heading over for Elias Cobbaut.
Match Day 38 sees a stunning encounter between Alessandria (16th on 34 points) and Vicenza (18th on 31) at the Moccagatta.
Cosenza (17th on 32 points) hosts Cittadella and the Lupi own the head-to-head (h2h) over Vicenza so the Biancorossi will be forced to attack Alessandria from the start
obituary section
We farewell our brothers, Pordenone and Crotone this weekend. It was only fitting that the pair would face off as their seasons come to a bitter end.
On certain weeks they fought valiantly and on others, not so much. With a combined 44 losses and 130 goals conceded, our two fratelli depart the Serie B realm with a leaky 3–3 draw at the Stadio Guido Teghil.
The encounter was the perfect microcosm of both clubs campaigns — despair and mediocrity — and a testament to the Squali’s sick obsession with drawing games and dropping points at the death.
Pordenone 3 Crotone 3: 45' Nedelcearu (cr), 58' Candellone (P), 59' Marras (cr), 64' Maric (cr), 86' Butic (P), 91' Zammarini (P)
May their spirits be revitalised and resurrected in Serie C. We call upon Bari, Sudirol and Modena to be filled with the Serie B spirit in 2022/23.
Here’s the roundup from Saturday’s action.
All the Match Day 37 Results
Leading Scorers MD37
Gabriel Strefezza, Franco Vazquez and Alfredo Donnarumma notched up another goal each but have little chance of chasing down Massimo Coda — who’s 6 ahead — to win the Paolo Rossi award. Dany Mota chimed in with a brace and Alberto Cerri got his 10th of the term against Reggina.
The Serie B Table after MD37
Playoffs: Lecce still has one boot in the door, Pisa can technically still go up on MD38 while Frosinone has its destiny in its own hands.
PlayOuts and Relegation: Crotone joins Pordenone in Lega Pro. Spal is safe. Any one of Cosenza, Alessandria or Vicenza can still go down on MD38.
Remaining Highlights from MD37
Pisa Cosenza, Ternana Perugia, Reggina Como, Pordenone Crotone
Next Games on Matchday 38
Top 8 sides: Watch out for Frosinone vs Pisa and Perugia vs Monza. In fact, there is only one dead rubber — Crotone Parma.
PlayOut/Relegation: Keep an eye on Alessandria vs Vicenza and Cosenza vs Cittadella.
The Serie B Playoff dates (below)
Play Off First Round
Friday, 13th May 6 v 7 (X), Saturday 14th May, 5 v 8 (Y).
PlayOut Dates
16th vs 17th of Serie B will be contested on Thursday, 12th of May and Friday, 20th of May (Home and Away).
Play Off Semifinal
Tuesday, 17th May. (X v 3) Wednesday, 18th May. (Y v 4) Saturday, 21st May. (3 v X) Sunday, 22nd May. (4 v Y)
Play Off Final
Thursday, May 26th and Sunday, May 29th.
Serie B Season 2022–2023 Calendar
Next season’s calendar is confirmed. The championship starts on Saturday 13 August and ends on Friday 19 May 2023. There will be a break for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the 15th round taking place on November 12th and the resumption on boxing day, Monday December 26th.
