Carpi smashed second place Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Sandro Cabassi on Wednesday night to kick off week 34 in Serie B action, effectively securing promotion to the top flight for the first time in club history.
Carpi took advantage of a trio of defensive lapses with Lorenzo Pasciuti kicking on the home side with a first half goal before Antonio Di Gaudio and Lorenzo Lollo’s well-placed shots stunned a reeling Rossoblu side who had hopes a victory could spur them on to supplanting the league leaders.
Bologna’s Karim Laribi had the first real opportunity of the match with a powerful free kick just outside the area but his effort was easily handled by Gabriel. Moments later, however, Gabriel was put to the test when a 40-yard pass through the heart of midfield carved open the Carpi defense and put Gianluca Sansone through on goal but the Brazilian keeper was up to the task and palmed away a shot headed for the near post.
The Biancorossi withstood Bologna’s punches and knocked the visitors back when minutes before the stroke of half time Gaetano Letizia drove an inch-perfect cross to Pasciuti who split a pair of flat-footed Bologna defenders and easily finished the play past a hapless Angelo Da Costa.
Laribi nearly leveled the score immediately but his long-range effort sailed just wide of Gabriel’s far post.
The hosts doubled their advantage shortly after the break when Letizia fought through a sliding challenge from Franco Zuculini, turned and slid a pass to the oncoming Di Gaudio who ran past his mark and delicately placed a shot in the far top corner.
Bologna coach Diego Lopez immediately switched to a 4-2-4 in an effort to grab a goal which would give the Felsinei a foothold in the match. The ploy nearly worked as Daniele Cacia’s glancing header from a corner sailed just wide and then again when Bologna overloaded the box and Sansone played a cross to the six-yard area where Matteo Mancuso met the ball perfectly and headed the cross down but Gabriel made a reflex save to deny Mancuso his 11th goal of the season.
The final nail was then hammered home when Sansone’s adroit slide blocked a threaded pass but the Bologna defense froze and didn’t clear the ball and Lollo took advantage by barreling in a shot from close range to end the contest.
The victory gives Carpi a 12 point lead with only eight matches left and leaves the sleepy little Emilia-Romagna town dreaming of slaying Italian giants next year.
