CATANZARO-VENICE 2-1
SCOREERS: 9′ st Iemmello, 14′ Yeboah, 35′ Alesi
CATANZARO (3-5-2): Pigliacelli 6.5; Cassandro 6.5, Antonini 6.5, Brighenti 6.5; Favasuli 6.5, Rispoli 6.5 (45′ st Bashi sv), Buglio 6, Pontisso 6 (30′ st Alesi 6.5), Di Chiara 5.5 (1′ st Nuamah 6.5); Iemmello 6.5 (47′ st Liberali sv), Cisse 5 (30′ st Pandolfi 6). All. Aquilani 7
VENICE (3-5-2): Stankovic 5; Schingtienne 6, Svoboda 6, Sverko 6 (22′ st Franjic 5.5); Hainaut 6, Kike Perez 6.5, Bohinen 6 (17′ st Doumbia 6), Busio 6, Bjarkason 5.5 (17′ st Pietrelli 5.5, 39′ st Fila sv); Adorante 5.5 (39′ st Casas sv), Yeboah 7. All. Stroppa 6
REFEREE: Perenzoni from Rovereto 6
NOTE: Attendance 8,655 (of which 5,851 season ticket holders), takings of 130,778 euros. Adorante, Hainaut, Kike Perez, Svoboda and Nuamah are booked. Corners 2-5. Recoveries: first 2′, first 6′
The third success in a row is perhaps more important than the first in the streak. Because against Palermo Catanzaro was in hot water, this time against Venezia they weren’t, but they prevailed in almost the same way and with merit: narrowly (2-1), suffering when there was room for suffering and striking at the right time against the taboo Stroppa who in the previous two years had given several lessons to the Giallorossi. This time he got the lesson: goals from Iemmello and Alesi, in the middle the goal from Yeboah.
In the first half, Venezia took possession and Catanzaro let them have it without any problems: there wasn’t the high pressing of Mantua, Aquilani preferred to wait for the opponents with a lower block and from a defensive point of view the task was successful because the lagoon players were only really dangerous once (in the 4th minute) and in the 13th minute a fairly clear offside led Perenzoni to cancel out a goal from Adorante following a cross from Perez (reported by assistant Petri). On the other side, Catanzaro is rarely seen because the attack is disjointed, long balls towards the strikers are useless, Cisse is well controlled and it is no coincidence that the ‘Ceravolo’ greets a double dribble by Favasuli with a roar, the only occasion in which an opposing line is missed, but at half-time Aquilani replaces Di Chiara with Nuamah to increase the front traction and somehow make the breakthrough. Venezia starts better and better, but Catanzaro has the merit – enormous – of realizing the first chance it builds in the 9th minute: Pontisso’s free kick short for Cisse, cross sent in by Cassandro, Antonini puts it back in the middle and Iemmello scores. The lead lasts for nothing: Cisse loses a bloody ball in the midfield, Svoboda for Busio, Kike Perez for Yeboah and an uncatchable left-footed shot.
Venezia continues to push, however Catanzaro is cynical to the right degree and also lucky with the substitutions: throw for the newly entered Pandolfi, pocket for Nuamah, lunge and cross in the middle, mess by Stankovic and Franjic, goal by Alesi, also 5′ on the pitch. Pigliacelli blocks Doumbia when Venezia tries to equalize, but the Eagles’ success is deserved. And very significant.