Pescara and Avellino downed Perugia and Spezia in Serie B playoff action on Tuesday and will battle Vicenza and Bologna respectively in a pair of two-legged semi-final ties beginning Friday, May 29.
In the first single-elimination match, the Grifoni squandered a lead and lost 2-1 to Pescara before a raucous crowd which included 800 delighted Delfini faithful who made the 250 kilometer trek to the Stadio Renato Curi.
New Pescara coach Massimo Oddo is now perfect through his first two matches, having crushed Livorno 3-0 to gain the final play-off spot last week in the season’s final fixture.
The Delfini had all the early opportunities including a Federico Melchiorri shot which rattled the post inside of 10 minutes. Although the hosts managed to settle in and create a few half chances, the Biancazzurri’s Melchiorri once again came the closest to breaking the deadlock when shortly before the break he showed tremendous control in a crowded area and rifled a shot which would have beaten Perugia keeper Jan Koprivec but the ball flew just over the crossbar and the sides went into the dressing room goalless.
Pescara immediately applied pressure and just as the match threatened to slip from the Grifoni, they broke the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes when Edoardo Goldaniga, who will play at Palermo next season, headed in a Marco Fossati free kick to hand Perugia the lead.
The Delfini’s play ratcheted from up-tempo to frantic as Oddo’s men chased every loose ball and were rewarded when Koprivec misjudged his approach to cut down the angle on Matteo Politano’s shot and it slid under the Slovenian for the equalizer. The goal rattled Perugia and they paid the ultimate price when Fossati fouled Melchiorri in the box and captain Birkir Bjarnason converted the spot kick with 15 minutes left to play to launch an improbable Pescara victory.
A determined Avellino side traveled to the Stadio Alberto Picco and defeated Spezia 2-1 in extra time.
The Biancoverdi put Spezia to the sword in the first half creating a handful of chances but the main fireworks occurred just before the half time whistle.
Mariano Arini received a caution after fouling Spezia’s Josip Brezovec and Avellino were rewarded for their outstanding play when Alberto Amici played a cross intended for Marcelo Trotta but was instead headed in by Antonio Zito to put the Lupi in front. No sooner were Avellino done celebrating then Arini earned an early shower for a tackle on Niccolo Giannetti.
Despite the numerical disadvantage Avellino almost doubled their lead minutes after the break when Zito nearly found the far post with his angled drive.
Avellino keeper Pierluigi Frattali made a miraculous diving save to keep out a Mario Situm header but was helpless when he gave up a rebound minutes later which fell to Brezovec who leveled the match 20 minutes from regulation.
Neither side could find the winner in regulation and in extra time Gianmario Comi pounced on a loose ball in the box to send Avellino through to the next hurdle.
Pescara will host Vicenza and Avellino entertain Bologna on May 29 in the first leg of the Serie B playoff semi-final with the return leg to be played four days later.
