Serie B: Sampdoria and Brescia seal playoff spots as Parma crowned champions
Parma sealed the 2023/24 Serie B title after their draw at home to Cremonese on Matchday 37 while Sampdoria and Brescia are in the playoffs after their victories against Reggiana and Lecco respectively.
The Crociati were held to a 1-1 draw by the Grigiorossi on Sunday afternoon, but that did little to dampen the spirits as the club from Emilia-Romagna celebrated in some style. After Como were held to a scoreless draw against Modena, and Venezia beat Feralpisalo 2-1, the final direct promotion spot will not be decided until the final round.
Meanwhile, Sampdoria and Brescia will join Cremonese, Catanzaro, and Palermo in the playoffs after the Blucerchiati won 1-0 against the Granata, and the Rondinelle smashed the Blucelesti 4-1.
Venezia remain in contention for direct promotion
Not only did Como's scoreless draw against Modena allow Parma to seal first place, it also gave Venezia a chance to stay in the pursuit for second spot. The Arancioneroverdi faced a stubborn Feralpisalo team on Sunday, and they tried their best in the first half to break the Verdazzurri down, but to no avail.
It was their talisman in attack, Joel Pohjanpalo, who found the breakthrough after 60 minutes with a strike that took a bounce prior to flying into the net. Although Mattia Compagnon equalised with seven minutes remaining, Venezia were able to secure the win when Pohjanpalo scored his second for the match three minutes into stoppage time.
The Finn now has 22 goals for the season and should finish as leading goalscorer while the Venetians need to beat Spezia and hope Cosenza defeat Como to earn direct promotion on the final day. Meanwhile, Feralpisalo's maiden Serie B campaign has been a short one as their relegation has been confirmed.
Esposito magic enough for Sampdoria, Brescia smash Lecco
Prior to Matchday 37, there were some playoff spots up for grabs, and thanks to Pisa drawing 2-2 at home to Sudtirol, Sampdoria and Brescia were able to seal their places, giving them some hope of returning to Serie A.
The Blucerchiati had more chances than the Granata, taking 13 shots to four, but a stupendous free-kick from Sebastiano Esposito was enough for Il Doria to take the three points. It was an emotional occasion too as former coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who coached the club from 1992 until 1997 and is now battling cancer, was in attendance.
Meanwhile, the Rondinelle earned a comprehensive victory against the Blucelesti. Birkir Bjarnason and Gabriele Moncini allowed Brescia to race into a 2-0 lead after just 16 minutes, then Moncini scored again in the second half, and Flavio Bianchi added a fourth. Roberto Inglese pulled a goal back in injury time but it was nothing more than a consolation.
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 37 results
| Date | Serie B Fixtures/Results |
|---|---|
| Sun, May 5 | Brescia 4-1 Lecco |
| Sun, May 5 | Cittadella 1-1 Bari |
| Sun, May 5 | Cosenza 2-2 Spezia |
| Sun, May 5 | Modena 0-0 Como |
| Sun, May 5 | Palermo 2-2 Ascoli |
| Sun, May 5 | Parma 1-1 Cremonese |
| Sun, May 5 | Pisa 2-2 Sudtirol |
| Sun, May 5 | Sampdoria 1-0 Reggiana |
| Sun, May 5 | Ternana 1-0 Catanzaro |
| Sun, May 5 | Venezia 2-1 Feralpisalo |
Serie B 2023/24: Table after Matchday 37
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parma | 37 | 75 |
| 2 | Como | 37 | 72 |
| 3 | Venezia | 37 | 70 |
| 4 | Cremonese | 37 | 64 |
| 5 | Catanzaro | 37 | 60 |
| 6 | Palermo | 37 | 53 |
| 7 | Sampdoria | 37 | 52 |
| 8 | Brescia | 37 | 51 |
| 9 | Sudtirol | 37 | 47 |
| 10 | Cosenza | 37 | 46 |
| 11 | Cittadella | 37 | 46 |
| 12 | Pisa | 37 | 46 |
| 13 | Reggiana | 37 | 46 |
| 14 | Modena | 37 | 44 |
| 15 | Spezia | 37 | 41 |
| 16 | Ternana | 37 | 40 |
| 17 | Ascoli | 37 | 38 |
| 18 | Bari | 37 | 38 |
| 19 | Feralpisalo | 37 | 33 |
| 20 | Lecco | 37 | 26 |