Serie B Gameday

So, there’s nothing quite like kicking back on a Saturday morning and watching the Serie B version of La Giostra dei Gol (OK, so the “no work tomorrow” part has a lot more to do with this than the actual quality of games, but still, it’s a good feeling…)

So I’m a pretty avid supporter of US Lecce, who you all are probably familiar with from their recent stints in the top flight of Italian soccer (in fact, they even cracked the top 10 in the 2005 table.) For the record, here are the teams I support:

1. AS Roma (Serie A)
2. Reggina Calcio (Serie A)
3. US Lecce (Serie B)
4. US Foggia (Serie C)

If you’re a Reggina fan, this would be a good year to pay attention to Serie B (for obvious reasons I will not reference in this post). Every Saturday I’m going to try to post a brief Serie B weekend preview, with predictions. This weekend is especially important to Lecce fans, as the squad travels to Chievo to take on the first-place gialloblu. I can’t remember a game I’ve been this excited about in the second flight for a long time. If you’re not familiar with the combo of Tiribocchi - Abbruscato, then you should probably pay attention. If Lecce can qualify for promotion and somehow hold onto these guys next year in the top flight, they can cause some real problems to any Serie A defense. And speaking of attacking teams, Chievo has scored more goals than any other Serie B team this season. So this game has all the makings for a fun to watch, offensive battle (although my prediction is that it won’t.)

Anyway, for any diehard fans who follow this league, and/or degenerate gamblers, here are this weekends fixtures and some brief predictions:

Avellino - Ascoli: Avellino’s been coming on strong as of late, highlighted by a draw last weekend at home against first-place Chievo. They also have a bit more at stake in this game, seeing as Avellino is fighting a relegation battle, while Ascoli is pretty much locked into a middle-table standing. PREDICTION: Avellino 2 - Ascoli 0

Bari - Albinoleffe: Upset special here. Since being named head coach, Antonio Conte has had mixed reviews. After a slow start, he seems to be picking up things for Bari. Conte has Juventus roots, so there’s no question his ambitions are much greater than coaching Serie B calcio. This will really be his first time to shine in the spotlight, as Bari hosts a team poised for promotion. This weekend’s fixture will say a lot about Conte’s character, and I think the ex-Juventino will shine under the circumstances. PREDICTION: Bari 2 - Albinoleffe 1

Bologna - Cesena: Top of the table vs. bottom of the table…home team vs. road team…no brainer here. PREDICTION: Bologna 3 -Cesena 1

Chievo - Lecce: Game of the week. First place Chievo versus third place Lecce. Both teams are destined for promotion this year, and as much as I’d like to say Lecce will pull out a close one, I think the teams are just too evenly matched to give the advantage to the road team. Sergio Pellisier of Chievo will be one of the hot items on the transfer market this summer, and I think he’ll be the deciding factor this weekend, in what promises to be, a hard fought battle between two solid teams. PREDICTION: Chievo 1 - Lecce 0

Mantova - Triestina: Mantova’s slim hopes of earning a playoff position will be terminated with a loss this weekend. For a playoff-bound team, Mantova simply gives up too many goals. Expect a late equalizer to catch Mantova off guard, and ruin their hopes for a top six finish. PREDICTION: Mantova 2 - Triestina 2

Messina - Modena: Messina has been one of the most inconsistent teams in Serie B this season. Even though it was only a year ago, it seems like an eternity since Rigano’ helped lift the Messinese to a decent start in the top flight. This team is so far removed from those days, and here’s a game I can see going either way. But home field is too much, and Messina wins an ugly one. PREDICTION: Messina 4 - Modena 2

Pisa - Treviso: Pisa’s Alessio Cerci (on loan from my beloved Roma) is one of my favorite young talents. I’m thinking this is going to be a route, and here’s hoping to him scoring a goal or two. PREDICTION: Pisa 4 - Treviso 1

Ravenna - Brescia: Ravenna, who dominated Serie C last season, seemed destined for relegation. Not sure they can recover from the hole they’ve buried themselves in already. And not helping things is the fact they’re playing Brescia, who still have ambitions to win the Serie B crown. PREDICTION: Ravenna 0 - Brescia 1

Rimini - Frosinone: Simple formula here — Rimini still have a chance to qualify for a playoff position. Frosinone is stuck playing for middle-table position. Game over. PREDICITION: Rimini 2 - Frosinone 1

Spezia - Piacenza: Two bottom table teams. Can you say snoozer? PREDICTION: Spezia 0 - Piacenza 0

Vicenza - Grosetto: Vicenza fans are still holding their hats on the fact that Baggio was born in their province. Sorry, folks but if you want to get back to the top flight, you’re going to need a reality check. Both teams are ugly to watch. PREDICTION: Vicenza 0 - Grosetto 0

That’s all for now. Cheers…

Category: Team News

Tags: Reggina, Serie B, Team News

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