Verona 1-1 Cesena
Saturday 17th November
Empoli 3-2 Grosseto
Livorno 2-0 Varese
Modena 1-1 Ascoli
Padova 3-1 Cittadella
Pro Vercelli 0-2 Crotone
Reggina 1-1 Ternana
Spezia 2-3 Juve Stabia
Vicenza 2-1 Novara
Virtus Lanciano 0-3 Bari
Sunday 18th November
Brescia 1-1 Sassuolo
Verona kicked off the weekend on Friday evening hoping to go level on points with league leaders Sassuolo, but a second half Damjan Djokovic equaliser saw them held at home by lowly Cesena. There was no mistaking these side’s respective league positions during the opening exchanges, with Verona piling on the early pressure and deservedly taking the lead through Emanuel Benito Rivas’ clinical finish. However, once Andrea Cocco saw a close range effort ruled out for a debatable offside decision, a seemingly galvanised Cesena took advantage and Djokovic curled a delightful effort from distance into the top corner. The Gialloblu then pushed for a winner that ultimately failed to arrive, leaving them to rue two vital dropped points.
Sassuolo therefore went into their Sunday afternoon encounter with Brescia knowing that a win would see them edge five points clear at the top of the table. That looked to be on the cards once a dominant Neroverdi edged into a 26th minute lead courtesy of Richmond Boakye’s clinical strike from the edge of the area, but Alessandro Calori’s men have improved markedly in recent weeks and they levelled just three minutes later through Daniele Corvia’s close range tap in. Sassuolo keeper Alberto Pomini claimed with some justification to have been fouled by Corvia during the build up to the goal, but there could be few arguments that Brescia were not deserving of a point, with both sides pushing for all three during an entertaining second half. Nevertheless, it finished all square, with the home side surely the happier of the two.
While the top three continue to pull away, the battle for a play-off place is also gathering pace with just five points separating Juve Stabia in fourth and Spezia in tenth, and a terrific encounter between those two sides was only settled in the Vespe’s favour thanks to a late winner from Stefano Dicuonzo. It was the visitors that drew first blood five minutes before the break, with Tomas Danilevicius glancing a header beyond the reach of Alessandro Iacobucci. The home side drew level through Marco Sansovini’s acrobatic overhead kick shortly before the hour mark, only for Danilevicius to steer Juve Stabia back in front from close range. Mirco Antenucci looked to have secured a point for Spezia with a composed finish five minutes from time, but it was Dicuonzo who had the final say, reacting quickest during a goalmouth scramble to snatch all three points.
Elsewhere, a defensive calamity saw Simone Zaza put Ascoli ahead against the run of play away to fifth placed Modena, with the home side deservedly levelling on the stroke of half time through Biagio Pagano. Matteo Ardemagni could have given the hosts all three points in the second half, but his weak penalty was easily saved by Enrico Guarna. It was a much better afternoon for Padova though, who secured a 3-1 win at home to Cittadella with two late goals from Andrea Raimondi. An impressive finish from Aniello Cutolo put Padova ahead inside the opening five minutes, but they were pegged back by a Niccolo Giannetti strike in the second half. However, a stunning strike in the last minute of normal time and a close range effort in the 95th from Raimondi gave Padova the points in thrilling fashion.
Further down the table, it was another dreadful week for Novara, who fell to a 2-1 defeat against Vicenza despite taking an early lead through Pancrazio Farogo’s strike from the edge of the area. Vicenza deservedly drew level on the hour mark through Luca Castiglia, before Matteo Gentili headed what proved to be the winner in the 69th minute. Elsewhere, goals from Francesco Migliore and Giuseppe Torromino saw Crotone pile further pressure on third from bottom Pro Vercelli, who continue to find life difficult at this level.
It was a similarly miserable afternoon for Virtus Lanciano, who were dispatched quite comfortably by visitors Bari, with a Daniele Sciaudone volley and a Francesco Caputo double doing the damage well before the final whistle. Meanwhile, a late equaliser from Alessio Pasquale Viola saw Reggina claim a valuable point at home to Ternana, who had taken a second half lead through Riccardo Maniero, and who are now slipping towards the relegation dogfight following a promising start to life at this level.
Player of the Week: Andrea Raimondi (Padova)
Goal of the Week: Marco Sansovini (Spezia)
Save of the Week: Vincenzo Fiorillo (Livorno)
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