TURIN – The 35th matchday of Serie B starts tonight with two advance matches – kick-off at 8.30pm – which on paper are quite tasty: Pisa-Catanzaro and Venezia-Cremonese. The Tuscans of Aquilani they are -1 from the playoff zone, i.e. from eighth place Sampdoria who receive Como tomorrow at 4.15pm. Pisa has the means to compete in the promotion play-offs (which are the objective of the season), among other things, the Nerazzurri are ahead in the direct clashes with the Blucerchiati, it would be enough to end the championship with the same points to be ahead of them. A little caution, however, doesn’t hurt. Pisa has failed to take off several times this season, without actually ever leaving an anonymous championship, without infamy and without praise. Last Saturday Aquilani, after the 1-1 draw in Bari, complained about the treatment his team received, considered by some to be “relegated”. There must certainly have been the usual exaggerations. But the actions of Aquilani, who did not benefit from the inevitable “predestined” license, still remain questionable: the team struggled to get into the mentality needed in Serie B, several times the right competitive energy was lacking and for too many matches Pisa only stood out for a sterile possession of the ball. And the passionate Pisan fans are only right when they blame Aquilani for the poor use of Alessandro Arena, rediscovered (successfully) only in recent times: there is talk of a potential champion, cleverly discovered in C last summer in Gubbio. Yet, Arena showed up at the beginning of the season with a wonderful goal at Marassi, which led to a victory over Sampdoria which could weigh heavily in the playoff sprint: if we had bet a little more on him, who knows, it could have been a completely different story history. On the other front, a Catanzaro team arrives at the Arena Garibaldi, having just returned from the triumphant campaign in Emilia, with victories over Parma (0-2) and Modena (1-3). The Giallorossi of Vivarini they could be the loose cannon in the playoffs. But for now, in the four remaining outings, we need to lock down the flattering 5th place which would guarantee playing the straight match of the preliminary round at Ceravolo. Last Saturday, the 0-0 home draw with Cremonese, however, provided good indications in what seemed like a preview of the playoffs, both played a little with their cards hidden, knowing full well that the crucial matches will be in less than a month.
Venezia-Cremonese is the key match
Venezia-Cremonese, on the other hand, is the highlight match of the entire round. Vanoli’s lagoon players cameback to win last Saturday in Lecco, at the home of the last team in the standings, 3 points to remain -3 behind second-placed Como and in direct zone A: after an almost embarrassing first half which ended at a disadvantage due to a feat Of Buso (grandson of the famous Renato), in the second half Vanoli’s band won as a great team, with two goals in the space of two minutes, scored by Pohjanpalo (always top scorer of B with 20 goals) and Busio, two pillars of the orange-green team , at Rigamonti-Ceppi
also followed by president Duncan Nierderauer who experienced the match with the 500 lagoon fans present in the away sector, cheering like one of them. The American patron, however, is experiencing crucial days. Between the end of the month and the beginning of May it guaranteed the entry of new members (also American), ready to take over 40% of the company shares to remedy a very serious situation, this is the heavy unknown on the future of Venezia: if the pilla, the team cannot register for the next championship, whatever the category. There is curiosity as to whether Cremonese will land at Penzo. The 0-0 on Saturday in Catanzaro said two things: the bad moment of the grey-reds seems to have been archived as they had in fact played in the previous rounds – with 3 knockouts in 4 matches – the sprint for the direct Serie A. With this draw still precious, now we can set up a championship finale almost in management, waiting to give everything in the playoff play-offs, Stroppa himself has made it clear that this will be the attitude that will keep the team from now until the last day. However, imposing itself in Venice would mean coming within just one point of the third-placed lagoon players. And it should be remembered that whoever finishes the championship in 3rd place can then, in the playoffs, move up to Serie A – in theory – with 4 draws, by virtue of the best placing in the championship.
