Monza-Pisa 2-1: Playoff Serie B final, goals from Mota Carvalho, Gytkjær and Berra

Monza is 90 minutes away from a historic promotion to Serie A. In a packed U-Power Stadium, with almost ten thousand fans present, Giovanni Stroppa’s team won the first leg of the Serie B playoffs 2-1. Already in the lead after nine minutes with the usual Dany Mota, the Brianza players find the double with Gytkjaer, who scores a quarter of an hour after his entry into the field. However, some regrets remain for the goal suffered in the final. Pisa chases immediately and makes the game for a long time, but with a few mistakes too close to Di Gregorio’s goal, managing to score only in the last seconds with Berra. A goal, that of the Tuscan Nerazzurri, decisive to stay alive in view of the return match, Sunday at the Garibaldi Arena: to celebrate a new promotion after 32 years they will have to win by at least two goals. In the event of a tie, in fact, it will go to extra time and possibly to penalties since both finished in third place with 67 points.

Monza immediately

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Stroppa throws Dany Mota together with Ciurria up front, with Gytkjaer and Mancuso, the men who had scored the goals for the final, on the bench. A choice that pays as the two strikers from Brianza talk and find the net after nine minutes. The first collects a pass from the defense and starts the action, then spreads for Ciurria and flies into the area to close the action. D’Angelo confirms the eleven who had beaten Benevento with Lucca in place of Torregrossa, but the problem of accuracy of his boys is not localized: it is a question of the team. Marin starts who on 21 ‘does not hit the goal on a cross from Beruatto. And then from there the hosts touched the 2-0 with an action similar to that of the initial advantage. In the second part of the first half, however, it is above all Pisa to push. At 33 ‘splendid cross from Lucca on which Puscas does not arrive by a whisker. Two minutes later the Romanian striker is put in front of goal by Birindelli, but he does not control the ball and fires high at first. The last chance ends up on the feet of Benali, who duets with Puscas but not even he can find the mirror of the goal.

Reopened at the last minute

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The second half begins with a shot (blocked) by Carlos Augusto born from a good play by Machin, but above all with the same intensity that resists from the first minute. Indeed, at the start the rhythms are crazy. In a few seconds Lucca spoils in front of the goal instead of serving Puscas, on the other side of the field Nicolas works a miracle on Barberis’ cut in the area. At 57 ‘Stroppa sent the Viking Gytkjaer and D’Alessandro to the field for Ciurria and Mazzitelli. Pisa continues to attack, but without really affecting and so D’Angelo also tries to change something by inserting Siega and Sibilli, for the attacking midfielder Benali and Mastinu in midfield. Sibilli immediately lights up, skips a defender and hits the post (63 ‘), while at 71’ there is also Torregrossa (for Puscas) and Gucher (for Marin). In the long run, however, it is the changes of the Monza that produce effects. At 74 ‘D’Alessandro puts in the middle for Mota, neutralized by a still amazing Nicolas, but on the rebound there is Gytkjaer ready to score the 2-0. Monza managed great until the 93rd minute, when he let himself be put on his head by the newly entered Berra. A flash that reopens everything.