Sunday 22nd January
Brescia 2 – 0 Nocerina
Goals from Omar El Kaddouri and Jonathas gave new Brescia coach Alessandro Calori his fourth victory from as many Serie B outings.
The home side outlined their intent early on, when Jonathas guided a long range header just over having met Marco Zambelli’s deep cross. Alessandro Budel then struck from distance, forcing Nocerina keeper Emanuele Concetti into a fine low save.
The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute, when Matteo Mandorlini’s searching cross found Zambelli in the box, who poked the ball into the path of El Kaddouri to stroke home from six yards out.
The Biancoazzurri wasted a number of glorious opportunities to double the lead before the break, the best of which came when El Kaddouri’s cheeky back heeled flick played Jonathas into the box, but he opted for placement with his right foot rather than power with his left, putting the ball harmlessly into the side netting.
Despite posing very little attacking threat in the first half, Nocerina almost equalised moments after the restart, when substitute Luigi Castaldo placed a header just wide of Michele Arcari’s post.
The points were made safe 20 minutes from time when a hopeful punt forward found Jonathas on the edge of the box, who flicked the ball over Concetti, only for Ciro De Franco to hook the ball back off the line. However, with no other Nocerina defender available to clear the danger, the Brazilian was left with the simplest of tasks to nod the ball into a completely unguarded net.
Having been in free fall since October, Brescia are upwardly mobile again, and the appointment of Calori may yet yield a play-off place come the end of the season.
Monday 23rd January
Reggina 1 – 4 Padova
Padova punished a poor defensive display from Reggina, taking home the points that keep them firmly on course for a play-off place.
In an even opening, the visitors almost took the lead when Claudio Cuffa met Giulio Donati’s deep cross into the box, but his weak effort was easily saved by Pietro Marino.
At the other end meanwhile, Alessio Campagnacci snapped a shot just wide of the post having been played into a good position by Simone Rizzato.
The visitors then took the lead just before the half hour mark, when Francesco Renzetti launched a deep cross from distance that evaded the entire Reggina back line and found Francesco Ruopolo at the back post, who steered the ball home.
Pietro Marino’s fingertip save denied Ousmane Drame as the visitors went in search of a second, which duly arrived moments before half time when Cuffa prodded home Elia Legati’s flick on from a corner.
Nicolas Benito Viola reduced the arrears in the second minute of first half injury time with a stunning long range free kick into the top corner, but it would prove to be merely a consolation for the home side.
Ruopolo claimed his second of the evening to make the points safe with 20 minutes remaining, picking up Dejan Lazarevic’s pass on the corner of the box before curling an unstoppable shot beyond the reach of Marino and into the top corner.
Linus Hallenius put the seal on an emphatic win ten minutes later. The Swedish forward picked up Ruopolo’s pass in the centre of the pitch, turned inside the challenge of Gianluca Freddi and raced towards goal, before dispatching a low drive into the bottom corner.
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