41 gruelling and backbreaking weeks of Serie B action have come and gone, with only one remaining. It has been a season that has once again delivered another Cinderella story in the shape of mighty Crotone, yet it is not only that which we have got to feast our eyes on. There has been a bevy of fascinating sub-plots making the final week of the regular season one of the most spine-tingling anywhere in Europe.
Before we do get to feast our eyes on the excitement that will be round 42 it is perhaps best to first cast our eyes back over the nonetheless impressive penultimate week of the 2015/16 Serie B season.
We start at the Sant’Elia in Sardinia and a match that had considerably implications at both the top and bottom of the division, as Cagliari played Salernitana. The Rossoblu had confirmed promotion the week before and were now looking to overhaul Crotone and claim the Serie B title. Their opponents had other matters entirely on their mind as they found themselves deep in the relegation mire with the clock quickly approaching the top of the hour.
Sadly, for the Granata, the hosts were in no mind to sit back and rest on their laurels of promotion. Rather, in front of their fans for the final time this season the Rossoblu controlled the match from start to finish.
Although it would not be until three minutes before the hour mark when Cagliari would eventually take the lead. Polish defender Bartosz Salamon initially heading a corner from the right off the bar before stroking the rebound himself into the top right corner.
On 75 minutes it was 2-0, Niccolo Giannetti tapping into an empty net from five yards out after Joao Pedro sprung the offside trap and played him in. Five minutes after that Marco Sau rounded off the scoring by exquisitely controlling a ball into feet on the edge of the area and then turning and slotting into the bottom left corner.
Cagliari would move top, while Salernitana remain in the bottom three with only 90 minutes of football remaining.
Why are Cagliari one point clear at the top? Well that is because previous holders Crotone were handed a bit of a pasting in Sicily by the high flying Trapani. The Granata taking the lead on 42 minutes Romano Perticone heading home a free kick from the left.
On 65 minutes Serse Cosmi’s men were two to the good Gennaro Scognamiglio bundling home a corner that had come in from the right. Finally, with 14 minutes remaining Caio De Cenco came off the bench to slap home a nice drive from range into the roof of the net.
Still to matters in and around the promotion race, Virtus Entella are back into eighth position, the final play-off position, after they did a demolition job on Avellino. Running out 4-0 winners against the Lupi. Simone Sini’s free kick being the best of the bunch.
The side who fall out of the play-offs as a result are Novara after they lost 1-0 away to Cesena. Antonino Ragusa’s drilled effort after only five minutes enough to do the damage in this one.
Switching focus to the bottom of the table and already relegated Como saved their best performance of the season until their last home match. Beating Spezia 4-0, Simone Ganz with a pair in the Lariani’s rout.
Just above them Livorno somehow live to fight another day after they beat Ascoli 1-3 at the Del Duca. It looked for a while as if the Amaranto were heading into Lega Pro after Mattia Aramu’s stunning 56-minute drive from the edge of the area was cancelled out by a scrambled effort by Davide Cinaglia.
However, Livorno put their man advantage to good use and on 77 minutes Daniele Vantaggiato restored the lead from the penalty spot. Ascoli were then reduced to nine with five minutes to go and not long after that in the 92nd minute Aramu got his second, another neat finish to make it 1-3.
Ascoli are still not safe and will be nervously looking over their shoulders on the final day. As for Livorno survival remains a distinct possibility but faith is not in their hands.
Meanwhile at the Stadio Braglia Modena continued their wretched season with a 2-5 home defeat against Pescara. The Gialloblu actually opened the scoring in this one on seven minutes, Simone Bentivoglio with an outrageous volley from outside the box after a deep free kick from the right had not been fully cleared.
Just past the 30-minute mark and Gianluca Caprari would hit back for the Delfini with a none too shabby goal of his own, placing nicely into the bottom left corner. A minute into the second half and Pescara would take the lead, Ahmed Benali providing the finish, again another quality one at that.
Modena however showed some resolve to hit back and make it 2-2 on 51 minutes, Davide Luppi heading home at the back stick. From there though things would go hideously wrong for the Emilian club. Gianluca Lapadula would make it 2-3 on 63 minutes, although there was a great deal of suspicion of hand ball with the goal.
Modena were then reduced to ten on 73 minutes and crumbled entirely, Ledian Memushaj adding a fourth on 81 minutes before Lapadula got his second and Pescara’s fifth deep into stoppage time. Modena remain in a relegation play-out position but must travel away on the final day while those behind are at home.
The other club in the relegation play-out position at the moment are Virtus Lanciano. That being because for no small part leaving in a late, late leveller against Ternana on Saturday. The Frentani had taken the lead on 17 minutes Guido Marilungo getting on the end of free kick from the right.
Yet just as it seemed as if they were on course for a huge three points, five minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match Martin Valjent popped up to break Lanciano hearts.
Latina gave themselves a small bit of breathing room at the bottom heading into the final day after a hard fought but well deserved three points over Vicenza. Daniele Paponi and Reuben Olivera with the crucial goals in a 2-1 win.
As for the other matches of match day 41 Pro Vercelli basically confirmed their safety with a 1-2 away win against the Grifone of Perugia. While Alessandro Rosina’s goal in the 94th minute gave Bari a 2-3 away win against Brescia.
The final day looms, see you then.
View Table HERE.
Week 41 Results:
Perugia 1-2 Pro Vercelli, Brescia 2-3 Bari, Ascoli 1-3 Livorno, Cagliari 3-0 Salernitana, Cesena 1-0 Novara, Latina 2-1 Vicenza, Modena 2-5 Pescara, Trapani 3-0 Crotone, Virtus Entella 4-0 Avellino, Virtus Lanciano 1-1 Ternana, Como 4-0 Spezia.
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