Serie B, 19th round: Reggina, Perugia, Como, Pisa, Modena and Cagliari win

Reggina made no mistake at Del Duca, beat Ascoli thanks to the decisive goal by Rivas. Inzaghi’s team thus catches Frosinone at the top with 36 points. Grosso’s men take the field at 6pm against Ternana and aim for the title of winter champions. External strike by Perugia at Vigorito: it ends 0-2 against Benevento. It is the second success in a row for Castori’s team, who leave the bottom of the standings. Cagliari also wins, waiting for Ranieri’s official debut on the bench: a header from Lapadula knocks Cosenza out. No problem for Como and Modena, which pass Cittadella and Sudtirol respectively. Pisa ahead in Ferrara, everything happens at Penzo: Parma recovers from 0-2 to 2-2 against Venice. At 8.30 pm the San Nicola match between Bari and Genoa ends. In the lunch match of this Boxing Day, Aglietti first on the Brescia bench drew 1-1 with Palermo.

LISTEN-REGGINA 0-1

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Leali and Colombi never engaged during the entire first half. At the Del Duca there was a lot of fighting in the middle of the field, but the two teams were unable to finish in the last few metres. In the 20th minute Menez protests for an alleged touch of the arm by the defense on one of his shots, for the referee everything is in order. In the 41st minute Gondo shows up in attack, the shot is inaccurate. In the second half Menez tries to punch holes in the opposing rearguard, but Bucchi’s formation holds. In the 64th minute Rivas succeeds in concluding an excellent personal action. He dribbles the defenders and Leali too, he doesn’t find the right time to shoot. Pass to Fabbian, the shot is deflected, so the ball goes back to the class of ’98 and this time he’s not wrong: third goal of the season for the Honduran winger.

BENEVENTO-PERUGIA 0-2

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The guests start very fast and in the 5th minute Dell’Orco has a double chance from outside the area following a corner kick. Cannavaro’s team reacts and in the 6th minute responds with Acampora. Six minutes later, Tello forces Gori into overtime with a shot deflected by Dell’Orco. First La Gumina and then Forte in the 25th minute are dangerous: the former Venezia hits the post right in the middle. Perugia holds on and in the 38th minute tries with Casasola saved by Paleari. Again the Argentinian defender was the protagonist in the 45th minute and made a good cross for Lisi, who blocked and beat Paleari: it was 0-1. The hosts fail to react in the second half: Olivieri goes close to doubling the lead, a shot deflected by the goalkeeper. In the 52nd minute La Gumina is precise on a free kick, blocks Gori. Fifteen minutes from the end, Benevento risks remaining in ten for the direct red remedied by Acampora, in a slide he hits Di Serio who was starting again. The referee recalled to the Var changes the decision and assigns the yellow card. Perugia mortgaged the result in the 83rd minute with Luperini: Melchiorri easily overcame the defense and served the midfielder who scored his second goal in the league.

CAGLIARI 2-0 COSENZA

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Excited first minutes of the match, but no dangerous conclusions arrive. On 20′ Falco shoots from distance and hits the post. The attackers showed little forward and nothing happened until the break. In the 48th minute the visitors went one step away from the advantage with a nice turn by Rispoli, excellent clearance by Radunovic. In the 65th minute, the hosts went through with Lapadula heading a corner kick by Kourfalidis. Eighth goal for the Peruvian striker. Cagliari also doubled in the last minutes with Lella, served well by the usual Lapadula: first center of the season for the midfielder born in 2000. The Sardinian club returns to victory with Pisacane on the bench, waiting for Ranieri’s official debut in January.

COMO-CITADEL 2-0

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Como gets rid of the Citadel and places an important blow in terms of salvation. Ready, go and it’s immediately show. Tommaso Arrigoni scores the boxing day goal with a left-footed volley from the outside that slips under the crossbar (4′). Masterpiece of the former Siena from 25 meters and unbridled exultation, unique, from those who know they have scored a Eurogol. The second in the league after the one against Perugia in October, which was also decisive there. There was an unexpected substitution in the second half: in the 66th minute referee Guida was injured and gave way to fourth official Gariglio, before Como’s 2-0 goal. Mancuso, who came in fifteen minutes ago, closed the game with a nice left-handed plate following an assist from Vignali. Fifth seal in Serie B for him. Como at 22 points, Cittadella penultimate at 19 together with Venice.

SPAL-PISA 0-1

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Three gold points for Pisa. A goal by Sibilli, who came on after 20′ due to a stop by Torregrossa, launches the Tuscans to 29 points. The first half is full of emotions. Sibilli goes close to taking the lead on two occasions, but Varnier closes the goal. In the 42nd minute Rabbi’s goal was disallowed for offside – nice header -, before Sibilli’s winning goal in the second half (54′). Favored by a rebound, the former Albinoleffe gives Pisa the three points with a nice left foot under seven. IN the 62nd minute there were ten players from Ferrara following the expulsion of Alessandro Murgia, who was out for a second bookable offence. Four victories in the last five for D’Angelo, while Spal stops after three useful results in a row.

SOUTH TYROL-MODENA 0-2

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Outside hit after two draws and one defeat. Tesser’s Modena scored two goals against Sudtirol and returned home with three points. On 22′ easy goal by Magnino after a slalom by Giovannini. The visiting number 19 dribbled past a couple of men, went on the left and kicked hard inside the area, finding the excellent Magnino, in the right place at the right time. Third goal in Serie B. The doubling was signed by Armellino, good at hitting Poluzzi on developments from a corner 10′ from the end. The ball passes under the legs of the home goalkeeper and ends up in the net. The ending is pure academy: siege by the hosts, counter-attack by the guests. Modena at 25 points, Sudtirol at 26.

VENICE-PARMA 2-2

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Parma runs away, Venice catches him again. A nice one-two from Mudo Vazquez deceives Pecchia, but Vanoli’s boys resume the match 10′ from the end. Al Penzo ends 2-2. The first ring comes from a penalty: in the 43rd minute – after a good sortie by Mudo on the right – Tessmann touches Sohm in the center of the box. The ball ends up for a corner, but Minelli concedes the penalty after consulting the Var. And Vazquez is not wrong. The doubling arrives in the 51st minute and still bears the signature of Mudo. Primed by a backheel from Sohm, the Italian-Argentinian keeps Ceppitelli at a distance with his body, jumps Joronen and supports it on the net with a soft touch. It’s not over. In the 70th minute the usual Pohjanpalo – seventh goal in B – reopened the games from close range after persistent action. The Finn throws it in and reopens a match that seemed to be aimed at Parma. The breakthrough comes in the 82nd minute. Pohjanpalo, the best of him, unleashes a ball and gives an unexpected assist to Pierini, good at putting Chichizola in with his left foot. First goal in B and golden draw. In the final Joronen saves the result from a header by Oosterwolde. Venice at 20 points.