Serie B Champion: Lecce
Cremonese also promoted, Vicenza into the PlayOut
There’s just one more promotion spot left as Perugia creeps into the Top 8 with a late goal and Alessandria is sent to Serie C.
Cremonese returns to contest its first Serie A season for 26 years.
they’re dancing La Pizzica
There’s more than one reason to party in Salento. Aside from claiming a second Serie B championship, Massimo Coda won the Serie B capocannoniere title and coach Marco Baroni obtained his first piece of silverware as a senior coach, leading Lecce to promotion in his first attempt.
Needing to avoid defeat against Pordenone on Friday night, the Via Del Mare was splattered with yellow and red as expectant home fans turned out in huge numbers. Zan Majer’s 46th-minute winning header was enough to confirm a 1–0 result and subsequently deploy the Giallorossi army to the next frontier.
Not so for the already-relegated Pordenone, who must have felt like the ceremonious sacrificial lamb. The Neroverdi finished in 20th with three wins, losing on 26 occasions and conceding 71 times.
In stark contrast, Lecce concluded the campaign conceding just 31 goals — a 2021/22 League-best — and 58 points above the Pordenone. The Giallorossi were relegated from Serie A in 2019/20 and now return for 2022/23 to contest their 17th season.
Bonus Fact: Marco Baroni wins his first title as coach just as his son, Riccardo, won Serie C with Modena. Assuming neither of them changes club, both will move up a division.
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festa festA
Gaetano, Fagioli, Okoli, Carnesecchi and the list goes on and on. The feel-good story of Serie B is Cremonese, who returns to Serie A for the first time since 1996.
And Le Tigri did it by entrusting some of the most talented young Azzurrini stars to get them there. The pressure was mounting as Cremonese, who’d lost their past two, visited the picturesque Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Match Day 38, but Fabio Pecchia’s side prevailed to win 2–1 away to Como.
Samuele Di Carmine slotted either side of the break to put Cremonese in the driver’s seat but Alessandro Bellomo converted a late penalty for the Lariani. While Como had nothing to play for, a draw for Cremonese would have condemned them to the PlayOffs as Pisa, who finished in 3rd, held the head-to-head.
The Grigiorossi secured a fifth promotion to the Italian top flight. While fans will want the nucleus of the team to remain for 2022/23, several key players were loaned in and could leave in the summer.
FINAL ROUND: Cosenza vs Vicenza
A mouth-watering PlayOut awaits. Yes, somehow Vicenza evaded direct relegation. How did they do it? The hardest way possible, that’s how.
Having won on just six occasions, the Biancorossi won their last three of the season, including that miraculous victory over league-leaders Lecce on Match Day 37.
make them watch
It was then left to the final round where they marched into the belly of the beast — in this case, the Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta — to execute Moreno Longo on his own patch, asphyxiate the mortified Grigi fans who attended, and drag Alessandria’s remains down into the relegation morgue alongside the bodybags of Pordenone and Crotone.
a classic case of who-done-it?
The killer blow would arrive from an unlikely source. Sebastian De Maio — yes, that big bulky defender that’s on loan from Udinese — volleyed home a Filippo Ranocchia corner-kick midway through the first half.
Alessandria barely threatened until the very last kick of the game when former Italy international Diego Fabbrini tested Nikita Contini from close range.
Che sarà sarà. L’Orso simply wasn’t desperate enough. Christian Maggio’s Lanerossi were. Even though Vicenza’s status is still undecided with this win, one thing’s for sure — the Serie B relegation skirmish was just as enthralling as the promotion battle.
Ah-hoo, werewolves of Lon… Calabria
Cosenza started the round two points behind Alessandria and one point in front of Vicenza, and owned the head-to-head over the latter. The Lupi went into their clash with Cittadella knowing that if Vicenza won, they’d be forced to get the three points.
Although they concluded the campaign in eleventh, Citta boasted the third-best defence in the division. With De Maio’s 23rd minute goal in Alessandria, the home fans were anxious at the break with the scoreline at nil-nil and the Rossoblu languishing in 18th on the live classifica.
But then arrived Cosenza’s version of Wayne Rooney’s “remember the name” moment. Scoring his first-ever goal in professional football, 19-year-old Massimo Zilli angled his diving header in off the far-post — a good excuse for the Marulla to explode.
Paolo Bisoli’s men climbed above both Vicenza and Alessandria to earn the right to host the second-leg of the PlayOut.
Thursday, May 12th it’s Vicenza vs Cosenza at the Stadio Romeo Menti. The second leg takes place on May 20th at the Stadio San Vito-Luigi Marulla.
the PlayOffs are a whole other beast
The write-up on Match Day 38 for PlayOff clubs is coming, including Perugia’s stunning victory.
Remaining Highlights from MD38
Coming in the next article.
Next Games:
PlayOffs: Watch out for Brescia vs Perugia at the Rigamonti and Ascoli vs Benevento.
PlayOut: Alessandria is relegated alongside Crotone and Pordenone. Thursday, May 12th it’s Vicenza vs Cosenza at the Stadio Romeo Menti. The second leg takes place on May 20th at the Stadio San Vito-Luigi Marulla.
A Reminder of the Serie B Playoff dates (below)
Play Off First Round
Friday, 13th May 6 v 7 (X), Saturday 14th May, 5 v 8 (Y).
PlayOut Dates
16th vs 17th of Serie B will be contested on Thursday, 12th of May and Friday, 20th of May (Home and Away).
Play Off Semifinal
Tuesday, 17th May. (X v 3) Wednesday, 18th May. (Y v 4) Saturday, 21st May. (3 v X) Sunday, 22nd May. (4 v Y)
Play Off Final
Thursday, May 26th and Sunday, May 29th.
Serie B Season 2022–2023 Calendar
Next season’s calendar is confirmed. The championship starts on Saturday 13 August and ends on Friday 19 May 2023. There will be a break for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the 15th round taking place on November 12th and the resumption on boxing day, Monday December 26th.
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