Serie B, Frosinone in Pescara, Spezia and Reggiana: last 90′, 15 teams at stake

The second direct promotion. The eighth that will play the playoffs. The two that will play the play-off to avoid C. And the three relegated. With 90′ to go, Serie B confirms a balanced tournament. Taking into account the fact that there was no certainty with 180 minutes to go (which hadn’t happened for 49 years), with one match to go the only verdict is Venezia’s promotion. While Palermo (fourth), Catanzaro (fifth), Modena (sixth) and Juve Stabia (seventh) are certain of their place in the playoff grid. The other fifteen will compete for a finish line. With greater, lesser or minimal chances of achieving it. But they will be motivated.

direct promotion

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Two teams are at stake, Frosinone has three points more than Monza (78 to 75). The Ciociari, after the stoppage of the Brianza team in Mantua, are one point away from Serie A. Mantua itself will visit Massimiliano Alvini’s team who will still have to not lose because in the case of home success for Paolo Bianco’s Monza (over the precarious Empoli) and finishing on equal points, the team now third in the standings would be promoted having the advantage in the head-to-head matches (0-1 and 2-2). At worst, Monza will make the playoffs as third place with the privileges of playing the semi-final and final return matches at home and the theoretical possibility of moving up to Serie A with four draws.

playoffs

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Avellino is the most serious candidate for the last place available for the playoffs. Also because they will host Modena, already confident of sixth place. Cesena (at home with Padova) and Mantua (at Frosinone) have the same points (46) as Irpinia: they will therefore have to win and hope. And the two teams with 44 will have to do it even more. That is Carrarese (in Chiavari with Entella, who are at high risk of playout) and Sampdoria on the Reggiana pitch, strongly suspected of relegation. In the theoretical race for eighth place there is also Padova (43), who will have to impose themselves away in Cesena and rely on many (perhaps too many) favorable results.

playoffs

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With 90′ to go the play-off to avoid the C would be Bari-Entella, with the Ligurians ahead by two points (39 to 37) and therefore with the privilege of playing the second leg at home and obtaining salvation with two draws. Bari, fourth from last, will visit a Catanzaro who are already confident of fifth place and who have not lost at home to the Apulians in Serie B (2-3) since 31 December 1977. With a draw, Moreno Longo’s team would be fourth from last and would condemn Pescara, Spezia and Reggiana to Serie C (all on 34 points). With a defeat, they would be in C if Pescara, ahead in head-to-head matches (1-1 and 0-4), were to win. With the victory, they would reach 40 and therefore the current haul of Empoli (which will go to Monza) and Sudtirol. The latter is fresh from three defeats and in the last round of the regular season they will host a Juve Stabia already certain of seventh place in the playoff zone with the aim of winning the three points that would remove them from any problem. It is probable, therefore, that the protagonists of the survival play-off will be two between Bari, Empoli and Entella. If these three teams reach the same points (40), the Apulians will be saved with Empoli and Entella playing for the remaining places. Be careful because there is also the possibility that the playout won’t be played: if Bari loses and Entella wins…

salvation

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The last three teams are -3 (37 to 34) from fourth-last Bari: they are Pescara and Spezia (who will face each other in the last round on the Adriatic), as well as Reggiana. However, all three have no alternative to hope for salvation. They will have to win (the Emilians at home against Sampdoria) and hope that Bari loses in Catanzaro. Without forgetting that – at the moment – Pescara is ahead in direct clashes with the Apulian team (1-1 and 0-4), Spezia is tied (1-1 and 0-0) and Reggiana is at a disadvantage (3-1 and 1-4). With Bari unbeaten in Calabria they would be in Serie C.