Serie B: Parma march on at the top, Cremonese get a grip of second place
Parma are edging closer to a return to Serie A as they defeated Brescia on Serie B Matchday 29 while Cremonese are putting themselves in contention for direct promotion after their victory against Como.
The Serie B leaders beat the Rondinelle 2-1 in the opening match of the round, taking their tally for the 2023/24 campaign to 62 points, and the Crociati are edging closer to a return to Italy's top flight for the first time since 2020/21. The Grigiorossi defeated the Azzurri 2-1, and they could be bouncing back up after their relegation from Serie A in 2022/23.
Meanwhile, the relegation battle is starting to heat up. Lecco look set for a quick return to Serie C after a 1-0 defeat to Palermo, but Spezia and Feralpisalo secured much-needed wins against Sudtirol and Modena respectively.
Cremonese make heavy work of Como
Prior to this match, only one point separated Cremonese in second place and Como in third, and both teams went into the weekend in good form. The Grigiorossi have been unbeaten in nine Serie B matches since the turn of the new year while the Lariani have won four and drawn once in their last six.
It went wrong for Como as early as the 14th minute, when Gabriel Strefezza was sent off for an aggressive tackle, and it got worse before half time when Cremomese were awarded a penalty after a handball from Lariani defender Cas Odenthal. Massimo Coda converted the penalty to give the Grigiorossi the lead and score his 14th goal of the campaign.
Despite the man advantage, Cremonese could not kill off the contest, and Como equalised from a Lucas Da Cunha free-kick after 67 minutes. It took a bit of individual brilliance from Franco Vazquez two minutes from time for the Grigiorossi to win it. The Argentine shrugged off a couple of defenders and produced an exquisite pass from the outside of his right boot before Luca Zanimacchia rifled the ball into the net.
Como have dropped down to fourth after that defeat whereas Venezia have leaped above them to go into third place after a 3-1 victory against Bari. Although first place might be out of reach for Cremonese, their momentum suggests that they will remain hard to beat in the race for second place.
Spezia and Feralpisalo earn valuable wins in battle to avoid relegation to Serie C
Spezia have leapt out of the relegation zone and into the playouts after their 2-1 victory against Sudtirol. Daniele Verde gave the Aquilotti the lead with a thunderous volley from outside of the box after just eight minutes, but Daniele Casiraghi equalised for the Biancorossi from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute. Verde got his and Spezia's second in the second half with a spot kick after Francesco Cassata was barged off the ball.
There was more drama in Modena as Feralpisalo earned a surprising 3-2 victory against the Canarini. Fabio Abiuso put Modena in front, but the Verdazzurri were ahead at half-time thanks to an excellent Davide Di Molfetta strike and a Karlo Butic penalty. Antonio Palumbo equalised for the home side in the second half with a penalty, but the Leoni del Garda got another spot kick, and it was Andrea La Mantia who stepped up and won it.
This defeat means that Modena drop down to 12th place, but they are still one point away from the playoffs. Meanwhile, Feralpisalo are two points from the playout zone, and seven points from safety. Achieving safety might be a mammoth task, but going through the playout gives them plenty of hope.
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 29 results
| Date | Serie B Fixtures/Results |
|---|---|
| Fri, Mar 8 | Parma 2-1 Brescia |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Cosenza 0-0 Cittadella |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Modena 2-3 Feralpisalo |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Spezia 2-1 Sudtirol |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Catanzaro 0-1 Reggiana |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Cremonese 2-1 Como |
| Sat, Mar 9 | Pisa 1-0 Ternana |
| Sun, Mar 10 | Venezia 3-1 Bari |
| Sun, Mar 10 | Lecco 0-1 Palermo |
| Mon, Mar 11 | Sampdoria 2-1 Ascoli |
Serie B 2023/24: Table after Matchday 29
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parma | 29 | 62 |
| 2 | Cremonese | 29 | 56 |
| 3 | Venezia | 29 | 54 |
| 4 | Como | 29 | 52 |
| 5 | Palermo | 29 | 49 |
| 6 | Catanzaro | 29 | 48 |
| 7 | Brescia | 29 | 38 |
| 8 | Pisa | 29 | 37 |
| 9 | Sampdoria | 29 | 37 |
| 10 | Cittadella | 29 | 37 |
| 11 | Reggiana | 29 | 36 |
| 12 | Modena | 29 | 36 |
| 13 | Sudtirol | 29 | 35 |
| 14 | Cosenza | 29 | 34 |
| 15 | Bari | 29 | 34 |
| 16 | Spezia | 29 | 30 |
| 17 | Ternana | 29 | 29 |
| 18 | Ascoli | 29 | 28 |
| 19 | Feralpisalo | 29 | 27 |
| 20 | Lecco | 29 | 21 |