The clean sheet, again. It is the positive aspect most highlighted by Vincenzo Vivarini after the victory in Bolzano. What was the third best attack of the tournament behind Parma and Catanzaro was granted the minimum wage. It was the key that the Abruzzo coach was looking for after the defeat against the league leaders. He found it and put it in the lock without there being anything causal: if after more than a month Fulignati has remained undefeated, the credit goes to the work done in recent weeks. With Sudtirol it was the third championship match ended with an immaculate goal. It happened on his debut in Cremona, then at home against Spezia, on 30 August. So five games in a row conceding at least one goal: three in Padua with Lecco, five with Parma, two more in Bari, one with Cittadella and from Sampdoria, which he hit on a penalty. Accustomed to last year’s monstrous performance, with 24 matches finished without conceding, it was natural that a perfectionist like the Catanzaro coach would look for remedies. In Serie B the level of the opponents is higher and, as Fulignati said before the trip to Alto Adige, “if you leave half a centimeter they punish you”, but a team that for three seasons in a row had the best defense in Serie C or, at least, in the southern circle, something better could have been done on the upper floor too. And he’s doing it.
On Saturday the midfielders applied themselves in an exemplary manner to help the central defenders with doubles; the wingers – short and tall – were almost never found uncovered from behind; in general the overall attitude, already seen after Parma, was more careful, aimed at avoiding the mistakes that cost dearly in Puglia, with Cittadella, at Marassi. If to these things we add the dominance of the game in the first half, we understand why Catanzaro did not allow Sudtirol even a single shot on target until the break. Bisoli’s men tried with more conviction in the second half in search of an equalizer – obviously – but Fulignati’s three saves came on a shot by Lunetta triggered by a rebound; on a weak, central header from Tait following a corner; on a personnel action in Cisco transition.
In short, three episodes, not situations built on shortcomings (which did not exist) in Catanzaro’s defensive system. According to Wyscout data, Sudtirol shot three times between the posts and eight in total: only Spezia, against the Giallorossi, had produced less. The good general performance must be added to the individual ones. In situations where he can struggle on a physical level (in Bolzano as in the two previous races), Scognamillo is perfectly at ease. The Atalanta-style “arm” from last championship, now as a central player in a four-man line, rises less, but is always fundamental from behind. Maybe he concedes a few centimeters and a few kilos to the opposing attackers, however he compensates with his skill in the air, with his advances and in marking, with his determination.
Brighenti is a master in the advances, he could hold some recovery courses also because his 240 matches between Serie B and Serie A guarantee him the experience needed to compensate for any problems. Krajnc also has a lot of experience and expressed himself well on Saturday, perhaps with his best personal performance since he was in Catanzaro. As for Katseris, the Greek seems to be a veteran and travels with an average rating above 7. While Krastev and Miranda have practically not seen each other yet, Veroli has carved out more space for himself among the young players, earning Vivarini’s trust. In Bolzano the coach launched him at the end and the boy taken from Cagliari managed it.
Blue bow. Ambrosino was called up by the Under 21s in Colombo’s place. It is the striker’s first time in U21.
