TURIN – Tonight, with all the matches taking place at the same time at 8.30pm, the last day of Serie B will be played. Few verdicts have already been definitive: Parma promoted to Serie A, Feralpisalò and Lecco relegated to Serie C. To be defined, in addition to the two teams that will play the playouts and the third to be relegated to C, which will be the second to go directly to A: Como or Venezia, separated by 2 points, whoever loses the sprint will go to the playoffs together with Cremonese, Catanzaro, Palermo, Sampdoria and Brescia who last year round they have all acquired the certainty of playing them. However, the definitive grid for the promotion play-offs needs to be established, which will start on Friday 17 May with the first match of the preliminary round, the playoffs which will end on 2 June, with the second leg final which will establish the third team to move up to Serie A. Guide to tonight’s 10 games.
Ascoli-Pisa
With the precious 2-2 achieved last Sunday in Palermo, the Ascoli team of former Juve Carrera remains three points away from direct salvation, i.e. from 41 where Spezia is, playing at home against Venezia. Beating Pisa today (who no longer have anything to ask of the championship) could mean playing the playouts, having to understand in what position and with whom.
Bari-Brescia
Dramatic match for the Apulians, at risk of Serie C, they have the same points as Ascoli but with whom they are ahead in direct clashes, a factor which in the end could have its weight in winning the playouts while they are behind Spezia, ahead by 3 points and last team to be saved. Bari in their fifth outing with Federico Giampaolo on the bench, fourth coach of the season after Mignani, Marino and Iachini. With him, so far there have been 3 draws and one knockout, Bari has not won a victory since February 17th (1-0 against Feralpisalò). Maran’s Brescia, certain of playing in the playoffs, must understand in which position they will make them: today they are eighth but if they were to displace Palermo from 6th place (the Sicilians have a 2 point advantage) they would earn the right to play the playoffs at home one-off preliminary round match against the seventh-placed team.
Catanzaro-Sampdoria
Basically, it’s a preview of the playoffs. Catanzaro is certain to finish in 5th place. However, if at the end of the match Sampdoria were to find themselves eighth (today they are seventh), the match would be repeated, again at Ceravolo, on Saturday 18 May. But with a success, Pirlo’s Blucerchiati could displace Palermo from 6th place, which has only a one point advantage, thus guaranteeing they will play the preliminary round match against the seventh-placed team at Marassi. In case of finishing on equal points with Palermo, Sampdoria is ahead thanks to direct clashes.
Como-Cosenza
With last Sunday’s 0-0 draw in Modena, Como missed their first promotion match point. Today, against a Cosenza team who are already safe but who will want to honor the match, only with a victory do Roberts-Fabregas’ Como team guarantee themselves Serie A, given that Venezia are trailing by 2 points and if they were to even just catch the Como team in the standings, they would go into A by virtue of the best goal difference in head-to-head matches. However, bookmakers consider Como’s promotion to Serie A to be a given, which they can no longer bet on.
Cremonese-Cittadella
Match that has no weight on the final ranking. Stroppa’s Cremonese is already certain to close the season in 4th place, a position which allows them to skip the preliminary round of the playoffs and therefore to take the field in the semi-finals. They will play the first leg away on Tuesday 21 May against the winner of Catanzaro and eighth place. To earn the final, by virtue of the best placing in the championship, Stroppa’s Grigiorossi will only need two draws. Cittadella is already safe and cannot aspire to the playoffs.
Feralpisalò-Ternana
Zaffaroni’s Gardesans were relegated to C in the last round, which they found again after a year and the only B championship in their history. Ternana from Breda, in the event of a victory, could also save themselves directly, given that with Sunday’s home win against Catanzaro they brought themselves to just one point behind Spezia, currently the last team to escape. In the event of finishing on equal points with the Ligurians, the teams are tied in head-to-head matches, it would be the goal difference (at the moment, -8 for Ternana, -14 for Spezia), and if that wasn’t enough, the higher number of goals scored ( Ternana 42, Spezia 34).
Lecco-Modena
Little more than training: Lecco has already been relegated to Serie C for three rounds and is fresh from a 4-1 defeat in Brescia, the fourth defeat in a row. Owner Di Nunno would like to sell the club but can’t find buyers who satisfy him. Modena, on the other hand, saved themselves last round by holding Como to a 0-0 draw. With Bisoli on the bench, who took over from Bianco, they achieved 5 points in 4 matches: the coach from Porretta Terme has the contract to coach Modena next season too.
Reggiana-Parma
Even in this case, the final result will not have repercussions on the season of both: Parma is already in Serie A, Reggiana is safe and has abdicated from the playoff race with last Sunday’s defeat at Sampdoria. However, the rivalry between Reggio Emilia and Parma has deep historical roots, therefore there could/should be a match worthy of a very tight derby, which in fact it always has been.
Spezia-Venice
Liguri with one point ahead of the playout zone. They retain the category with a win. If they draw, they will only be saved if Ternana doesn’t win. In the event of a knockout and arriving on equal points with the Breda team, the situation with the Umbrians must be verified (you can read it in their match). Attention, in the event of an equal points finish between the 4 teams competing for survival, the separate classification would count, i.e. the points that each team obtained with the three rivals. And therefore, in the hypothesis, Spezia is saved (12 points), Bari and Ascoli in the playouts (9 and 7 points), Ternana relegated (3). Venezia, if they lose the sprint for Serie A against Como, will miss the preliminary round of the playoffs as the third-placed team and will take the field in the semi-finals, first match on Monday 20 May, the first leg away against the winner of the preliminary round who will oppose sixth versus seventh place. Today, however, Venezia still has hope of direct Serie A: Como is ahead by 2 points but if they were to catch them in the standings, they would be ahead by virtue of the better goal difference in head-to-head matches. However, coach Vanoli admitted that his team only have a 1% chance of moving up to Serie A this evening.
Sudtirol-Palermo
Alto Adige players already safe and who with the 2-2 in Pisa in the last round can no longer aspire to the playoffs, have nevertheless achieved the seasonal objective of maintaining the category, which was not a given when Valente, a debutant promoted by the Alto Adige Primavera, had taken over Bisoli in current season. Palermo has the certainty of playing in the playoffs but does not yet know in which position, they are called to defend 6th place from the attacks of Sampdoria and Brescia, one and two points away and who if they were to catch the Sicilians in the standings they would be ahead ( Blucerchiati ahead in direct matches, in which the Lombards have a better goal difference). For Mignani, Corini’s replacement, it will be the seventh bench with the rosanero: so far, zero victories, 2 knockouts and 4 draws.
