Benevento
(frasan) We “played” many times to predict what could happen at the end of the regular season. The rules of the play-offs are really complex, after all it is as if another championship were taking place, with 28 participants, but no longer with a round-robin round, but with all finals, first one-way, in the final one-way and return. It starts on May 4th.
THE LATEST OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. Benevento, we all know, has the mathematical certainty of third place, but is still eyeing second place, which is still arithmetically achievable. To tell the truth, the tie with Avellino at 66 is only fictitious, because the Irpinia team are strengthened by the two successes in the direct clashes and in the event of a photo finish they will prevail. Predicting what will happen on the last day would be like visionaries: Avellino hosts Crotone who already have the mathematical certainty of the play offs, but can still improve their ranking, Benevento plays at Cibali in Catania. With the Etna people’s hearts in turmoil, because the victory in the Italian Cup allows them to directly access the first round of the “National Phase” of the play offs even as top seed. But if they were to fall into the play-offs, the Italian Cup “bonus” would be neutralized and they would go on to compete in the survival play-offs. The other lifeline for the Sicilians is the gap from the second to last (the one they could face in the play outs if they were to finish fifth from last): if it is 8 or more points, the play out would be canceled and therefore they would still enter the play offs . Benevento is certain of one thing: to finish second they must score one point more than Avellino, otherwise they will be forced into third place.
SECONDS OR THIRD PARTIES? The famous Catalan would not miss the obvious: better seconds than thirds. Precisely. As seconds, they would enter the scene 7 days later (on May 18th instead of May 11th) and there would be one less opponent on the road leading to the final on June 9th. We see no contraindications, not even those that sound so much like “consolation” when they emphasize the long period in which one remains without playing (seconds from April 27th to May 18th, third parties from April 27th to May 11th).
FROM THIRD PARTIES. As a third party you enter the game in the first round of the national phase (11-14 May), the one in which the 6 winners of the group stage, the three third-placed teams in the championship and the winner of the Italian Cup (or whoever takes over) participate. Of the ten contenders, five will be seeded: the three third-placed teams, the winner of the Cup and the best placed in the regular season among the six coming from the group stage. Being seeded is not a small advantage, because it gives you the right not only to play the second match at home (and this, in truth, is an advantage that needs to be verified…), but above all to move forward in the competition even in the event of two draws or two speculated results (away goals are never worth double).
IN THE SECOND. By winning the double match of this phase (five winners), we reach the second round (18-21 May), the one in which the three runners-up enter the scene. The pairings are established by draw, but the 4 seeds must be identified: that is, the three who finished second in the regular season and the best ranked in the championship among the five who arrive from the first round. Referring to a Benevento that participates as third (but also at Avellino…), we think that it can hardly aspire to be the fourth seed in the second round, where, among the five coming from the first round, the best ranked is chosen in the regular season. Among the third-placed teams (we remind you, one day from the end) Carrarese has 70 points, Vicenza 68, Benevento and Avellino 66. The hope of being seeded therefore passes through the elimination of the other two third-placed teams. And let it be clear that the seeded team in the second round has the same privileges as those in the first: it advances with two draws or even with two mirror results.
Advantages of no small importance, which in the final four (semi-finals 25-28 May; finals 2-9 June) are eliminated: the four finalists all start on equal terms and these are the only play-off matches in which extra time and possible penalties are foreseen .
Cover cartoon of NV.art by Massimo Nesti taken from the Internet
Tags: Play offs navigate difficulties regulation
