A game full of goals, but with a careful eye on the other fields too. Aquilani’s team took the lead at the end of the first half, with a nice goal from Bonfanti, taking the lead at half-time. However, upon returning, first Molina and then Odogwu (on a penalty) reversed the result. Moreo takes care of it, a few minutes after his entry, to find the equalizer again. Masucci also enters in the last quarter of an hour, playing his last match as a footballer at the Arena Garibaldi. Pisa tries to score, but the victory doesn’t come. This, combined with the victories of Brescia and Sampdoria, puts an end to Pisa’s playoff dreams. It’s already time to plan next season.
Last home match of the regular season, in a spring setting that smells of summer. The objective, however, for the Nerazzurri, is to keep the playoff flame burning as much as possible, well aware that Pisa will no longer be the architect of their own destiny, but will only have to win and hope. An important day also on another front. Pisa has in fact organized the “Masucci Day”. In fact, today was the last ever at the Arena Garibaldi and at the end of the match Masucci greeted the Nerazzurri crowd with a special lap of honor to receive applause and thanks from everyone for the many battles experienced and won wearing the Pisa shirt. To try to fuel the playoff dream, Aquilani relies on the 4-2-3-1. Nicolas in goal, while in defense there are Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli and Barbieri. In front of the defensive department Marin is supported by Valoti, given the absence of Esteves due to injury, as well as Veloso and Barberis. In the Arena backcourt, D’Alessandro and Matteo Tramoni, in his second match as a starter this season. Finally, the sole striker is Nicholas Bonfanti. During the race the Curva Nord sends a message to “everyone”. “You all have time to work towards a popular capacity curve, we deserve a stadium that lives up to the dreams we have”.
FIRST HALF – Long study phase between Pisa and South Tyrol. First shot by the Nerazzurri in the 17th minute with Barbieri missing the target. In the 25th minute Tramoni sees Arena and serves him with a nice through ball, but his shot is blocked by the visiting defense. However, very little happens in this first half hour of play at a pace that isn’t very high after all. In the 28th minute, from a rebound following a throw-in, Caracciolo shoots from outside and the ball is first blocked by the defence, then following a second rebound the ball ends up high over the crossbar. Sud Tirol’s first shock in the 30th minute with Arrigoni, but Nicolas deflects it for a corner. In the 33rd minute, a flying exchange between Tramoni and Arena, then Corso penetrates and shoots at the spot, but Poluzzi makes a prodigious intervention, putting it in the corner. In the 44th minute Pisa takes the lead with Bonfanti who, with his head, stands out and converts a ball that came directly from a corner into a goal. Last chance again for the Nerazzurri in the 46th minute with Arena dribbling past a couple of players and shooting from inside the area and from a tight angle, but the ball grazes the post to the left of Poluzzi and goes wide. Thus ends the first half.
SECOND HALF – Pisa starts attacking again. In the 49th minute following a free kick, Valoti shoots from the edge, but his shot ends up very high. In the 53rd minute the guests equalized from a free kick. The ball lands on Molina’s head and everything has to be done again. In the 59th minute Rover shoots from distance, but Nicolas catches in two stages. In the 67th minute Barbieri commits a foul on Odogwu in the area and the referee orders the spot kick. So South Tyrol, with the same number 90, reverses the result. Aquilani’s team did not give up and scored the 2-2 goal with Moreo who, with his head from a corner, first found a rebound and then reiterated it into the net. Pisa thus throws in Lisandru Tramoni, Moreo, Touré and above all Masucci, in his last at home, eliciting a standing ovation from the public, for the last quarter of an hour of the game. In the 86th minute Bonfanti also comes out and Torregrossa takes over for the last substitution of the match.
PISA-SOUTH TIROL SCORESHEET
PISA (4-2-3-1): Nicolas; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli, Barbieri; Marin, Valoti (71′ Tourè); D’Alessandro (71′ L. Tramoni), Arena (78′ Masucci), M. Tramoni (71′ Moreo); Bonfanti (86′ Torregrossa). Available: Loria, Mlakar, Beruatto, Coppola, De Vitis, Piccinini. Coach Alberto Aquilani
SOUTH TYROL (3-4-2-1): Poluzzi; Giorgini, Masiello, Cagnano; Molina, Arrigoni, Peeters (77′ Merkaj), Rover (62′ El Kouakibi); Mallamo (77′ Rauti), Casiraghi (62′ Cisco); Odogwu. Available: Drago, Vinetot, Kurtic, Pecorino, Ciervo, Broh, Kofler, Lonardi. Coach Federico Valente
Referee: Fabio Maresca of Naples
Networks: 44′ Bonfanti. 53′ Molina, 68′ Odogwu (pen), 74′ Moreo
Ammonites: Valoti, Mallamo, Calabresi, Rover, Canestrelli
Note: Spectators 7,637 of which 5007 season ticket holders. Recovery 2′ pt, 5′ st
