Situm (on a warning and therefore disqualified for the next match) was booked towards the end of the first half and was replaced by Oliveri. It is not clear whether the change was influenced by the yellow card received, but it is certain that the Croatian had also had fever problems during the week, like Iemmello.
In just thirty seconds, Pisa, taking advantage of a defensive lightness (the marking in the area was too wide) risks equalizing with a shot on the crossbar by Bonfanti, served by Arena.
Pisa’s pressure increases and Catanzaro, devoid of offensive references and with Ambrosino tired and Biasci uncooperative, he struggled to move the axis of the game towards the opponent’s area. The Giallorossi try to impose their possession game, but the freshness of the Pisa players is felt more, particularly in the key area of the pitch as they put a lot of intensity into their tackles and push numerous players forward.
The regret for the substitutions and for the progress of the match in general manifests itself after the simultaneous entry of Pompetti And Iemmello in the 59th minute. At that point, except for a central shot by Barbieri, Pisa’s pressure had not produced the desired effects. The entry of the captain for Biasci and Pompetti, in place of Pontisso, who was playing with a yellow card, seems to infuse new energy into the teamwhich is now better able to manage the construction of the game from the bottom up and find its points of reference.
With Pisa unbalanced, Catanzaro doubled their lead in the 64th minute with a deadly counterattack orchestrated by Vandeputte, who served Ambrosino who, coolly, scores the goal. For the record, with the two assists from Vandeputte and the goal from Pontisso, the Belgian achieved his thirteenth assist of the season, while Pontisso scored in the first half, becoming the thirteenth different scorer in the tournament.
In the 72nd minute, Aquilani seems to make a gesture of desperation by making three simultaneous substitutions. However, for Catanzaro, in the end, it will be the additional freshness of the players who entered the field that will be decisive for Pisa’s draw.
