Serie B: Palermo the entertainers, Feralpisalo giant killers
Parma have extended their lead over Venezia at the top of Serie B to six points, but most of the drama on Matchdays 18 and 19 came further down the table. The Gialloblu earned victories over Ternana and Brescia whereas the Arancioneroverdi drew against Lecco and Feralpisalo.
But Palermo have provided their share of excitement in recent rounds, scoring 12 goals and conceding 10 in their last four matches, whereas Feralpisalo have earned valuable points against illustrious opponents in recent games.
Sampdoria and Bari shared the points in a 1-1 draw, bringing 2023 and the first half of the season to a close. Serie B action returns on January 12, 2024, when Catanzaro host Lecco.
Palermo puts on another show in the Cadetti
Before their 3-3 draw against Parma on Serie B Matchday 16, Palermo had won just once in seven matches and lost four games in that period. In the last four rounds, the Rosanero have collected points and entertained everybody watching.
Following that chaotic draw at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, the Sicilians beat Pisa 3-2, drew 3-3 away to Como, and defeated Cremonese 3-2. Palermo squandered a 2-0 lead against the Pisans before Jacopo Segre scored the winner; they lead early, then trailed in the second half, and regained the lead before conceding a late Simone Verdi penalty against the Lariani; and Leo Stulac scored a goal late in injury time to defeat the Grigiorossi.
Rosanero coach Eugenio Corini has made changes to his defence, but the contributions from Roberto Insigne and Federico Di Francesco on the wings in recent rounds have made a difference, giving their main striker Matteo Brunori enough service to thrive on.
Palermo are accumulating points in some style and they are now just three points off a spot for direct promotion to Serie A.
Feralpisalo pick up priceless points against strong opposition
It has been a difficult debut campaign for Feralpisalo, who have been languishing at the bottom of the Serie B table, and they replaced Stefano Vecchi with Marco Zaffaroni as coach after 10 matches. However, their form in the last three rounds has been remarkable to say the least.
After earning just seven points from the first 16 rounds, the Lombards have earned another seven in the last three matches. They defeated the high-flying Cremonese 1-0 on Matchday 17, won 3-2 in a controversial game against Sampdoria, and held Venezia to a 2-2 draw.
A Christos Kourfalidis strike was enough to defeat the Grigiorossi, and Feraplisalo were winning 2-0 in Genoa before the Blucerchiati came back. Mattia Zennaro scored the winner for the Verdazzurri, but Samp forward Sebastiano Esposito had a late goal disallowed after a supposed foul in the penalty area.
The Lombards lead twice against the Arancioneroverdi with Mattia Compagnon scoring both goals. However, the Venetians responded each time with Joel Pohjanpalo from the penalty spot and Giorgio Altare with a header.
Feralpisalo are now just four points off the relegation playoff spots, and six from a position of safety. Can they capitalise on this purple patch and make a real survival push?
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 18 results
| Date | Serie B Fixtures/Results |
|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 23 | Cittadella 4-1 Spezia |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Como 3-3 Palermo |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Cremonese 4-0 Modena |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Parma 3-1 Ternana |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Venezia 2-2 Lecco |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Catanzaro 2-3 Brescia |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Bari 0-0 Cosenza |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Pisa 1-0 Ascoli |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Sampdoria 2-3 Feralpisalo |
| Sat, Dec 23 | Sudtirol 2-3 Reggiana |
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 19 results
| Date | Serie B Fixtures/Results |
|---|---|
| Tues, Dec 26 | Reggiana 1-0 Catanzaro |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Ascoli 0-0 Cittadella |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Brescia 0-2 Parma |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Cosenza 1-2 Como |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Feralpisalo 2-2 Venezia |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Lecco 2-1 Sudtirol |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Spezia 1-1 Modena |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Ternana 1-1 Pisa |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Palermo 3-2 Cremonese |
| Tues, Dec 26 | Sampdoria 1-1 Bari |
Serie B 2023/24: Table after Matchday 19
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parma | 19 | 41 |
| 2 | Venezia | 19 | 35 |
| 3 | Como | 19 | 35 |
| 4 | Cittadella | 19 | 33 |
| 5 | Cremonese | 19 | 32 |
| 6 | Palermo | 19 | 32 |
| 7 | Catanzaro | 19 | 30 |
| 8 | Modena | 19 | 28 |
| 9 | Brescia | 19 | 25 |
| 10 | Sampdoria | 19 | 23 |
| 11 | Bari | 19 | 23 |
| 12 | Reggiana | 19 | 23 |
| 13 | Pisa | 19 | 22 |
| 14 | Cosenza | 19 | 21 |
| 15 | Sudtirol | 19 | 20 |
| 16 | Lecco | 19 | 20 |
| 17 | Ternana | 19 | 18 |
| 18 | Ascoli | 19 | 17 |
| 19 | Spezia | 19 | 17 |
| 20 | Feralpisalo | 19 | 14 |