PlayOffs: Pisa vs Monza Final
Sogno Serie A: Benevento and Brescia elimated, Cosenza safe.
The second legs of the PlayOut and PlayOff semi-finals have concluded.
What a difference a few weeks can make in football. Thrashed 5–1 by La Strega just weeks ago, Pisa departed the Vigorito with a 1–0 first leg disadvantage after Luca D’Angelo dispatched an understrength XI that included Idrissa Touré, Alessandro De Vitis and Lorenzo Lucca.
LapaGol, è sempre lui
First Leg: Who else but Gianluca Lapadula? The Peruvian international slotted his third consecutive goal to give Benevento the upper hand ahead of the second leg in Tuscany.
Amongst a sea of red and yellow, LapaGol broke the deadlock with just five minutes to go, driving the winner hard and low, giving Nicholas little to no chance.
However, finishing in 7th place on the Serie B table, Benevento was the lower-ranked team and had to win the two-legged tie within the allotted 180 minutes.
Second Leg: Therefore, Pisa could afford to win 1–0 at the Garibaldi in the return match, and that’s exactly what they did. Ahmad Benali turned in a delicious George Puscas delivery to get that vital goal. Benevento couldn’t respond within the 90 minutes and was subsequently eliminated even though the tie concluded at 1–1.
No extra-time. Benevento had to win on aggregate. Job done for Luca D’Angelo and off to the PlayOff Final Pisa goes.
Serie B PlayOff Semifinals (two legs)
3rd (Pisa) plays the winner of 6th vs 7th (Benevento), while 4th (Monza) plays the winner of 5th vs 8th (Brescia).
The second leg is always at the home stadium of the best-placed team in the regular season (3rd or 4th).
In the event of a drawn scoreline after 180 minutes (two legs), the team best positioned in the Serie B standings qualifies for the final and no extra time is played (Pisa and Monza).
The away goals rule does not apply.
For a refresher on the mechanics of the Serie B PlayOffs and PlayOut, click here.
The Berlusconi’s are on the brink of making history
Monza advances to the PlayOff final after coming from behind to defeat Brescia 4–2 on aggregate.
First Leg: Le Rondinelle dominated the opening stages and hit the lead after just seven minutes courtesy of an outstanding Stefano Moreo angled finish from an acute angle alla Paolo Di Canio vs Milan in 1993/94.
Monza responded before the break as Patrick Ciurria set up Christian Gytkjaer in front of goal for 1–1. Then the Dane obtained his 11th of the campaign — joining teammate Dany Mota — by converting a spot-kick in the 56th-minute.
The Biancorossi took a 2–1 lead into the return match.
Second Leg: Eugenio Corini was rewarded early for his bravery at the Brianteo — once again in the seventh minute — as Matteo Tramoni drove in from nine yards to fire Brescia back into contention at 2–2.
With away goals irrelevant, and Monza the higher-ranked team, La Leonessa had to win by two goals and held onto the lead until the 70th minute.
Stroppa injected Leonardo Mancuso into the tie and the substitution had an immediate effect. Christian Gytkjær bullied his way to the edge of the area and dished off for Mancuso to slip his toe-poke past Jesse Joronen and into the far corner.
Monza led 3–2 on aggregate.
However, Brescia pushed to reduce the deficit but was quite simply outmuscled. For such a special occasion, the Monza fans demanded a special goal. Marco D’Alessandro magnanimously supplied in the 94th minute with his marauding run and first-class finish.
Monza is into the Final to take on Pisa. Dimitri Bisoli sobbed passionately after the final whistle as Brescia’s dream of returning to Serie A was shattered for at least another twelve months.
But for other members of the Bisoli family, it was merely about Serie B survival.
The Serie B Playout is Pier Paolo’s
Reinforcing the power of the home ground advantage, let’s turn to the two-legged PlayOut between the Lanerossi and Rossoblu.
First Leg: Christian Maggio scrambled home the winner for Vicenza at the Romeo Menti and Francesco Baldini’s side simply required a clean sheet in Calabria last Friday night.
With the scores level at 0–0 in the second leg at the Marulla last Friday, Cosenza loitered dangerously close to relegation as Vicenza looked to extend its winning streak to five matches.
But Pierpaolo Bisoli and Joaquin Larrivey were both brought in to save Cosenza in February. Something had to give one way or the other.
Second Leg: Bisoli’s halftime substitute Massimo Zilli forced Nikola Contini to parry his header away towards an unmarked Larrivey and the Argentine volleyed for a 46th-minute aggregate equaliser. Credit must go to Daniele Liotti, who supplied the pinpoint cross into the box for Zilli.
Si Salva. The big moment came when Vicenza was penalised for a handball in the area. And it was the former-Cagliari man again that took responsibility. Larrivey sent Contini the wrong way, Cosenza led 2–1 on aggregate, and Bisoli got his team over the line.
but is it really over for the Lanerossi?
Vicenza’s only hope of staying up rests upon the financial future of Reggina, who is rumoured to be going bankrupt. So, just like Cosenza was recalled to Serie B after being relegated in 2020/21, Vicenza’s fortunes may change over the summer.
Venetian forensic accountants will undoubtedly be asking for Reggina’s paperwork.
Serie B PlayOff Final
Monza hosts Pisa in the first leg on Thursday, 26th of May at the U-Power Stadium. On Sunday, May 29th, we will know which team wins the final Serie A spot for 2022/23 as Monza travels to the Arena Garibaldi.
Serie B PlayOff Final (two legs)
3rd (Pisa) plays Monza (4th)
The second leg is always at the home stadium of the best-placed team in the regular season (3rd or 4th).
The away goals rule does not apply.
In the event of a drawn aggregate scoreline after 180 minutes (two legs), the team best positioned in the Serie B standings is promoted and no extra time is played.
Pisa and Monza both concluded the Serie B regular season with 67 points, therefore, with a drawn aggregate scoreline extra time is played and then penalties if required.
Reminder: Cagliari, Genoa and Venezia will be back in Serie B in August. Lecce and Cremonese were directly promoted after finishing in 1st and 2nd in 2021/22.
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