Serie B: Como hold Parma and stay right in the fight for automatic promotion
Parma have had their lead at the top of the Serie B table cut by a point after drawing away to Como while Palermo squandered a two-goal lead away to Cremonese on Matchday 26.
The Gialloblu were held to a 1-1 draw in Como whilst the Grigiorossi came back from 2-0 down at half-time to draw 2-2 against the Rosanero. The Ducali are now on 55 points while the draw between Cremonese and Palermo allowed Venezia to jump up to second on 48 points after their 2-1 win away to Pisa.
It is an exciting race for the other spot for direct promotion from Serie B with just two points separating the Arancioneroverdi in second place and the Lariani in fifth.
Como nullify Parma
It was clear that Como needed to show a reaction after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Palermo on Matchday 25, and they were able to do so against league leaders Parma despite falling behind early in the match.
The Ducali took the lead after just three minutes when Valentin Mihaila surged into the opposition half, and passed to Adrian Benedyczak, who had enough time and space to finish from close range. It was in the 24th minute when the Lariani drew level with Lucas Da Cunha collecting a poor defensive clearance, and he supplied a through-ball for Simone Verdi, who produced a one-touch finish.
Parma had more chances in the second half, but they lacked the quality on the day to seriously trouble Adrian Semper in the Como goal. The Ducali now have a seven-point lead at the Serie B summit whereas the Lariani are equal fourth with Palermo albeit just two points off Venezia in second place.
Palermo blow lead against ten-man Cremonese
Palermo have re-emerged as a promotion contender, scoring goals freely, but conceding their share as well. Meanwhile, Cremonese have been in contention since Giovanni Stroppa replaced Davide Ballardini as coach earlier in the season, but the Grigiorossi have not been overly prolific.
Although Massimo Coda has been a reliable goalscorer, the Lombard club had not scored more than once in a match since losing 3-2 to the Rosanero in Sicily in late December, and the last time they score more than two was in the 4-0 victory against Modena on Matchday 18.
Palermo took the lead after 18 minutes when Leonardo Sernicola handballed in the penalty area and was sent off. Matteo Brunori stepped up and dispatched the penalty kick, then Filippo Ranocchia doubled the lead before half-time after a neat team move, taking his tally to four goals in five appearances for the Rosanero.
Cremonese pulled it back to 2-1 four minutes into the second half with Michele Castagnetti finishing off a tidy team move from his own team. The comeback was complete just a minute later, when Coda beat a defender with a touch from his right foot, and scored with the left, taking his seasonal tally to 13. Both teams had chances to win it but to no avail.
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 26 results
| Date | Serie B Fixtures/Results |
|---|---|
| Fri, Feb 23 | Cosenza 1-2 Sampdoria |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Feralpisalo 0-1 Ascoli |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Brescia 0-0 Reggiana |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Cremonese 2-2 Palermo |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Cittadella 1-2 Catanzaro |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Sudtirol 1-0 Bari |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Como 1-1 Parma |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Pisa 1-2 Venezia |
| Sat, Feb 24 | Ternana 0-0 Lecco |
| Sun, Feb 25 | Modena 0-0 Spezia |
Serie B 2023/24: Table after Matchday 26
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parma | 26 | 55 |
| 2 | Venezia | 26 | 48 |
| 3 | Cremonese | 26 | 47 |
| 4 | Palermo | 26 | 46 |
| 5 | Como | 26 | 46 |
| 6 | Catanzaro | 26 | 42 |
| 7 | Cittadella | 26 | 36 |
| 8 | Modena | 26 | 35 |
| 9 | Brescia | 26 | 34 |
| 10 | Bari | 26 | 33 |
| 11 | Cosenza | 26 | 32 |
| 12 | Sudtirol | 26 | 31 |
| 13 | Reggiana | 26 | 31 |
| 14 | Sampdoria | 26 | 31 |
| 15 | Pisa | 26 | 30 |
| 16 | Ternana | 26 | 26 |
| 17 | Ascoli | 26 | 26 |
| 18 | Spezia | 26 | 26 |
| 19 | Feralpisalo | 26 | 21 |
| 20 | Lecco | 26 | 21 |