Play-off mission accomplished. But since the appetite comes with eating, now the dream can be ignited, which is called seventh place. Because it makes all the difference in the world between finishing seventh or the next three places. The ranking currently says: Pescara and Pontedera 52 points, Arezzo and Rimini 50.
What the regulation says
It is enough to look at the regulations to realize that 7th place would allow Rimini to play at home on Saturday 4 May against the eighth-placed team, having two results out of three available to go through, without extra time or penalties. In the case of eighth, ninth or tenth place, however, only the opponent would change: in all cases, Rimini would play away and would have the obligation to win within the 90 minutes of regulation to extend their season. In short, as had also happened last year in Pontedera, when Gaburro’s Rimini (which finished 9th due to the exclusion of Siena otherwise they would have been 10th and would have played in Gubbio) was called upon to perform an exploit without any ifs or buts that it did not arrive due to the strength of the opponent but above all due to a completely wrong initial strategy.
How to get to 7th place
Let’s immediately clarify a concept so as not to create false expectations. The hopes that Troise’s team will reach 7th place are slim to none. In the meantime, we should go and win in Gubbio, a traditionally hostile field, with 4 disqualified (Lamesta, Morra, Langella and Lepri) and against an opponent who has only lost once at home, against Perugia. Furthermore, it is essential that Arezzo does not win on its own pitch against the already safe Sestri Levante as the red and whites carry a very heavy zero in the direct clashes with the Arezzo team (who won both at the Neri and at home). Having said that, 7th place is achieved if you only reach equal points with Pescara (1-1 and 5-1) or with Pescara and Pontedera (7 points together with Pescara, 3 points with Pontedera, same goal difference as the Abruzzo team in the three-way comparison, +2, but direct confrontation better). Instead, you are down if you are only in the company of Pontedera (4-0 and 1-3). Obviously the objective would be achieved even if Rimini only reached 53 with Pontedera and Pescara at 52 and Arezzo at 51 or 50.
The other combinations
Everything else is a side dish to this discussion. In the case of a 4-man finish, the separated ranking sees Pescara 13, Arezzo 8, Rimini 7 and Pontedera 5. Instead, in the two remaining cases of a three-man finish, Arezzo 8, Pontedera 5, Rimini 3 or Pescara 7, Arezzo 6, Rimini 4 Translated, you can finish eighth, ninth and tenth but nothing changes in substance, the only real difference is therefore seventh place. The possibilities are few. But now that the play-offs are in our pocket there will be smiles even without there will be bingo.
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