Serie B Matchday 1 Talking Points: 2024/25 begins with signs of another troubling season ahead for Bari
There were a couple of surprises on Matchday 1 of the 2024/25 Serie B season such as Catanzaro holding Sassuolo to a draw and Juve Stabia defeating Bari at the Stadio San Nicola.
The Calabrian club earned a 1-1 draw against the Neroverdi, who were relegated from Serie A, whereas the Campanians travelled to Puglia and defeated the Galletti 3-1. Le Vespe secured promotion to the cadetti as Serie C Girone C champions in 2023/24 and they were able to expose Bari's frailties at the back.
Perhaps the Pugliese club were fortunate to survive relegation after winning 4-1 on aggregate against Ternana in the Serie B playout and they look set to struggle under new coach Moreno Longo.
Juve Stabia lethal from set pieces
Juve Stabia were able to race into a two-goal lead before half-time thanks to goals from corners and attacking midfielder Nicola Mosti assisted in both of them.
He took a corner from the left and Marco Bellich opened the scoring with a header after 25 minutes. Three minutes into stoppage time, another corner kick from Mosti found the head of Francesco Folino, who doubled the lead. The Stabiesi were able to soak up some pressure in the second half, and they scored a third goal in the 81st minute, when Gabriele Artistico produced a superb volley.
A Giacomo Ricci strike late in the game was no more than a consolation for Bari. Like Cesena, who defeated Carrarese 2-1, Juve Stabia marked their return to Serie B with a victory and did it against seemly stronger opposition.
Bari look set to struggle in Serie B again
The 2022/23 Serie B playoffs proved to be a real sliding doors moment for Bari as they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Cagliari. After coming so close to a return, the following season became a struggle to stay in Serie B and that playout triumph against Ternana secured their place in the cadetti for another year.
Losing to a team promoted from Serie C in the opening round of the new season at home is not a good sign, and it is clear that they have problems at both ends of the pitch. Goalkeeper Boris Radunovic was slow to react on the goals whereas his Juve Stabia counterpart Demba Thiam had an excellent match. Up front, the experienced Kevin Lasagna started in attack for the Galletti, but Thiam proved to be a thorn in his side.
Last season, Bari needed the flair of Giuseppe Sibilli and a late scoring run from veteran defender Valerio Di Cesare to keep them up. Now that Di Cesare has retired, the Pugliese side need another to step up, and Sibilli must turn on the style soon if they are to avoid another campaign of struggles.
Serie B 2024/25: Matchday 1 results
| Date | Serie B Results |
|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 16 | Brescia 1-0 Palermo |
| Sat, Aug 17 | Bari 1-3 Juve Stabia |
| Sat, Aug 17 | Pisa 2-2 Spezia |
| Sat, Aug 17 | Salernitana 2-1 Cittadella |
| Sat, Aug 17 | Sudtirol 2-1 Modena |
| Sun, Aug 18 | Catanzaro 1-1 Sassuolo |
| Sun, Aug 18 | Cesena 2-1 Carrarese |
| Sun, Aug 18 | Cosenza 1-0 Cremonese |
| Sun, Aug 18 | Frosinone 2-2 Sampdoria |
| Sun, Aug 18 | Reggiana 2-2 Mantova |
Serie B 2024/25: Table after Matchday 1
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juve Stabia | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Cesena | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Salernitana | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Sudtirol | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Brescia | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Cosenza | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Frosinone | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Mantova | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Pisa | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Reggiana | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Sampdoria | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Spezia | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Catanzaro | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Sassuolo | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Carrarese | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Cittadella | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Modena | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Cremonese | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Palermo | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Bari | 1 | 0 |