We are underway once again, 11 weeks and one day since the final match of the 2015/16 Serie B season finally came to a close the circus starts up once again.
What lies ahead is perhaps the most gruelling of all Italian league schedules as 22 teams will play a total of 42 matches (With Potential of play-offs to be added) over the coming months. For some every minute will be spent hoping and praying on a promotion to Serie A, Others however will merely be glad to have retained their position in the second tier of Calcio. Whatever the case may be the 2016/17 season is all set to be far from boring.
One team who should make certain of that is Hellas Verona, the Gialloblu were relegated rather tamely from Serie A last season and will be looking to placate their passionate fan base with and immediate return to the top division. As the Pre-season favourites to achieve just that a quick start to the season was essential and thankfully for the Verona faithful they did start as hopefully how they mean to go on with a 4-1 win against Latina.
There will of course be sterner tests to come for the Gialloblu then against a relegation tipped Leonialti but a win to start the season is always nice. New signing Davide Luppi was the man to get the scoring underway for Verona with a simple tap in from six yards out on 11 minutes. Celebrations though were short lived as only a minute later Latina were level when a volley from the edge of the area cannoned back off the crossbar and onto the back of the Nicolas in the goal.
Unperturbed Verona quickly got back into the groove and within five minutes had restored their lead through a trademark Giampaolo Pazzini header down into the bottom left corner. Six minutes after that it was three, Daniel Bessa latching onto the ball at the edge of the area and splendidly drilling it into the top right corner past a despairing Carlo Pinsoglio.
Verona would remain in charge for the remainder of the encounter but would not find their fourth and final goal until the 83rd minute. When Juantio Gomez was the beneficiary of a low cross from the right to slide home in acres of space inside the box.
Many expect Verona’s closest rivals this season to be the Puglian outfit of Bari, who got their season underway at home to newly promoted Cittadella. The Galletti have strengthened well over the summer and the appointment of Roberto Stellone to the managerial post has been met by almost universal praise.
All that being said a new manager and new faces can often take time to bed into their new surroundings and so the Bari fans found out on Saturday when the Granata strolled into the San Nicola and surprised the hosts.
Former Kilmarnock stalwart Manuel Pascali was the man who opened the scoring for Cittadella on 53 minutes, with a header at the near post after a corner from the left. Stunned, the Bari fans were soon reaching to pull their jaws up from the ground when two minutes later they fell further behind. Gianluca Litteri with the calm finish after good work from his teammates on the edge of the box.
Riccardo Maniero would halved the deficit on 65 minutes from the spot but it would not be enough in the end to get Bari any points from the match. A surprise opening day defeat for Bari, but still a long, long season ahead.
Getting back to the other two sides recently relegated from Serie A and both got their campaigns off to winning starts and coincidentally also winning by the same score line of 2-0, the only difference being that Carpi’s win came away to Vicenza, while Frosinone won at the Matusa against Virtus Entella. For Carpi it would be 19-year-old Alfredo Bifuclo who would open the scoring on 58 minutes, showing fine strength and technique to finish. His teammate Raffaele Bianco would then seal the deal on 68 minutes with a powerfully struck effort.
As for Frosinone their goals would come from Adriano Russo, who headed home from a corner a minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half and Daniel Ciofani on the hour mark who likewise headed home from a corner.
Benevento celebrated their first ever Serie B match with a 2-0 home win against fellow newly promoted side SPAL. Amato Ciciretti would score the Stregoni’s historic first ever goal in the second tier on 29 minutes, blasting a penalty past Alex Meret in the SPAL net. On loan Inter striker George Puscas would confirm all three points ten minutes from time when his mazy run was finished with aplomb.
Meanwhile at the Stadio Silvio Piola on Sunday evening Novara and Trapani played out a fine encounter that in the end saw neither side able to separate themselves from the other. Andrej Galabinov would give Novara the lead on nine minutes with a splendid long rang free kick, but that would be cancelled out by Caio De Cenco on 24 minutes.
Paolo Farago would then restore the Biancoazzurri’s lead on 53 minutes and from there it looked as if Novara had escaped with all three points only for Andrea Feretti to pop up a minute into stoppage time at the end of the match and earn Serse Cosmi’s men a share of the spoils.
The other matches that have so far been plaid in week one of the 2016/17 Serie B season all finished with a scoreline of 1-1 and they were between Pro Vercelli-Ascoli, Avellino- Brescia and Spezia- Salernitana. The final match to take place this weekend sees Cesena host Perugia on Monday night.
While Ternana’s match against Pisa is to be rearranged after the terrible earthquake that took so many lives in the region in recent days.
As a mark of respect a minute silence was held before all matches across the peninsula this weekend and here at Italian Football Daily we would also like to pass on our condolences to all who have been effected by this terrible tragedy.
View Table HERE.
Week 1 Results:
Spezia 1-1 Salernitana, Avellino 1-1 Brescia, Bari 1-2 Cittadella, Benevento 2-0 SPAL, Frosinone 2-0 Virtus Entella, Pro Vercelli 1-1 Ascoli, Verona 4-1 Latina, Vicenza 0-2 Carpi, Novara 2-2 Trapani, Cesena v Perugia (Mon), Ternana v Pisa (Postponed)
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