Serie B: Palermo push into promotion places, Feralpisalo claim first-ever win
Parma's grip at the top of the Serie B table remains firm after Matchdays 7 and 8, with the top two tiers of Italian football seeing action-packed weeks with a midweek set of fixtures falling between weekends.
The Crociati remain top of the Serie B table with 20 points, but Palermo have recently emerged as a potential contender for promotion after winning their last two matches against strong opposition.
Closer to the bottom, there was some positive news for Feralpisalo, who earned their first-ever win in Serie B away to fellow Lombards Lecco, and they have moved off the foot of the table.
Palermo's Serie B promotion push
After conceding a late goal in the defeat to Cosenza on Matchday 6, Palermo needed to react and they did so in some style.
The Rosanero won 3-1 away to Venezia on Matchday 7 and Italo-Brazilian striker Matteo Brunori scored a hat-trick against the Lagunari. He gave the Sicilians the lead with a penalty in the first half before Joel Pohjanpalo brought the Arancioneroverdi level before the break. Brunori made it 2-1 in the second half from point-blank range and then he completed his hat-trick after running onto a pass from Leonardo Mancuso.
Palermo followed that up with a 2-1 win against Sudtirol on Matchday 8. Riccardo Ciervo gave the Northern Italian club the lead with a stunning strike from long range in the first half, but the Sicilians responded in the second half with goals from Pietro Ceccaroni and Giuseppe Aurelio.
The Rosanero are now second with 16 points and they have a game in hand. Coached by club legend Eugenio Corini, who won the 2018/19 Serie B title with Brescia, he has demonstrated that he can lead a team to promotion and he is laying some strong foundations in Sicily.
Feralpisalo claim first-ever Serie B victory against Lecco
It has been quite a struggle for Feralpisalo, who play their home games 100 km away in Piacenza, but they were able to earn their first Serie B win on Matchday 7 when they travelled to face another team from Lombardy in Lecco.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the goals came in a three-minute spell in the second half. Davide Balestrero gave Feralpisalo the lead after 51 minutes only for Nicolo Buso, who came on for Lorenzo Di Stefano at half-time, equalised a minute later. It took a goal of superb individual quality from Mattia Felici to regain the lead for the Serie B newcomers in the 54th minute and they were able to hold on after that.
The Lombard club lost 2-1 to Spezia on Matchday 8, but the euphoria of that first-ever win in the Cadetti won't go away quickly.
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 7 results
| Date | Fixtures/Results |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Cosenza 1-2 Cremonese |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Lecco 1-2 Feralpisalo |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Ascoli 2-0 Ternana |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Reggiana 0-0 Pisa |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Spezia 0-0 Brescia |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Sudtirol 0-0 Modena |
| Tue, Sept 26 | Venezia 1-3 Palermo |
| Wed, Sept 27 | Catanzaro 1-1 Cittadella |
| Wed, Sept 27 | Como 1-0 Sampdoria |
| Wed, Sept 27 | Parma 1-1 Bari |
Serie B 2023/24: Matchday 8 results
| Date | Fixtures/Results |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Brescia 1-1 Ascoli |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Feralpisalo 1-2 Spezia |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Modena 1-3 Venezia |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Pisa 1-2 Cosenza |
| Sat, Sept 30 | Ternana 3-0 Reggiana |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Bari 1-1 Como |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Cittadella 2-1 Lecco |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Palermo 2-1 Sudtirol |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Sampdoria 1-2 Catanzaro |
| Sun, Oct 1 | Cremonese 1-2 Parma |
Serie B 2023/24: Table after Matchday 8
| Pos | Club | MP | Pts |
| 1 | Parma | 8 | 20 |
| 2 | Palermo | 7 | 16 |
| 3 | Venezia | 8 | 15 |
| 4 | Catanzaro | 8 | 15 |
| 5 | Como | 7 | 14 |
| 6 | Modena | 7 | 12 |
| 7 | Cittadella | 8 | 12 |
| 8 | Cosenza | 8 | 11 |
| 9 | Sudtirol | 7 | 10 |
| 10 | Cremonese | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Brescia | 5 | 9 |
| 12 | Bari | 8 | 9 |
| 13 | Pisa | 7 | 8 |
| 14 | Ascoli | 8 | 8 |
| 15 | Reggiana | 8 | 7 |
| 16 | Ternana | 8 | 5 |
| 17 | Spezia | 7 | 5 |
| 18 | Feraplisalo | 8 | 4 |
| 19 | Sampdoria | 8 | 3 |
| 20 | Lecco | 5 | 1 |