It’s time to take to the field for the first round of the group stage of the play-offs Serie C Now 2023-2024. Tonight at 9pm, the Picerno driven by Emilio Longo will host the Crotone coached by Lamberto Zauli in front of the ‘Donato Curcio’ audience. The sixth and ninth teams in Group C are competing: there is a three-position difference and six points separating the two teams in the final ranking (52 to 58). The Lucanians arrive in the promotion play-offs after having lost ground from the top five in the class in the final rush: just one win, five knockouts and one draw in the last seven days of the championship. Facing Longo’s band, the Pythagoreans who put an end to a nightmare return round with only four successes and 20 points won (worse only were third-last Virtus Francavilla with 18 and Brindisi relegated to Serie D with 15). A troubled season for Crotone who, as reiterated on the eve of the match by Zauli, has a great desire for revenge to forget what happened during the regular season. In the pre-match press conference, however, Longo underlined how his boys will try to win without being influenced by the two results out of three available to go through. In the event of a draw at the end of ninety minutes of play, in fact, there will be no extra time or penalties but Picerno will be the one to qualify for the second round of the play-offs by virtue of their best placing in the regular season. The Pythagoreans, who have won only one away match in the last four months, only need to win in a difficult away match against a team that has lost just three home matches in the season to continue their play-off adventure. THE seasonal precedents between the two teams, the Calabrians are leaning: a victory at ‘Scida’ (2-1) and a goalless draw in Basilicata.
PICERNO HERE: Garcia, Vitali and Albadoro are absent from the Lucanian ranks. Mister Longo’s classic 4-2-3-1 is ready with Merelli in goal, Allegretto and Gilli at the center of defense with Guerra acting as left back and Pagliai as right back. In the midfield Pitarresi together with Gallo while up front there is room for Albertini, Maiorino and Emmanuele Esposito to support the lone striker Murano.
HERE CROTONE: Mister Zauli will have to do without Altobelli, Stronati and Papini. The formation chosen by the Crotone coach will be the 4-4-2: D’Alterio between the posts, Loiacono-Gigliotti will be the central defensive pair with Leo acting on the right lane and Giron on the left. Vinicius will take place in the midfield alongside Zanellato with Tribuzzi and D’Ursi on the outside. Up front is the heavy offensive tandem of Gomez and Tumminello.
These are the probable lineups for the match that you can follow via TuttoC.com’s LIVE MATCH:
PICERNO (4-2-3-1): Merelli; Guerra, Allegretto, Gilli, Pagliai; Gallo, Pitarresi; E. Esposito, Maiorino, Albertini; Murano. Available. A. Esposito, Summa, Cadili, Biasiol, Novella, De Ciancio, Savarese, Ciko, Ceccarelli, Graziani, Petito, D’Agostino, Santarcangelo. All. Longo
CROTONE (4-4-2): D’Alterio; Leo, Loiacono, Gigliotti, Giron; Tribuzzi, Vinicius, Zanellato, D’Ursi; Gomez, Tumminello. Available Dini, Valentini, Battistini, Bove, Crialese, Martino, Rispoli, Bruzzaniti, D’Angelo, D’Errico, Felippe, Vitale, Cantisani, Comi, Kostadinov. All. Zauli
Referee: Niccolò Turrini of the Florence section. Assistants: Davide Conti from Seregno and Manuel Marchese from Pavia. Fourth Officer: Andrea Calzavara from Varese. At VAR: Luigi Nasca from Bari and Rodolfo Di Vuolo from Castellammare di Stabia.
