After the five points obtained at the “Ceravolo”, Catanzaro must start marching also away. The only trip made so far, to Cesena in the midweek at the end of August, was to forget from every point of view you want to look at it, except from the level of example, in the sense of things not to be repeated.
If the one in Romagna proved to be a lesson, tomorrow’s match (3pm) in Cittadella will be the best test to understand if it has actually been digested and assimilated.. To get points in Veneto, the Giallorossi will have to be the complete opposite of the soft, relaxed and not at all incisive team of just over two weeks ago, also because at the “Tombolato” over the years, victims far more illustrious and ambitious than the Eagles have fallen. The defeat in Cesena was followed by the reaction – strong, convincing – that crushed Carrarese.
So it is continuity that Caserta and its players need. And maybe even the spirit of a provincial fighter that is the secret of Cittadella itself. Having started the season with three out of four games at home has undoubtedly helped in the complicated start of the tournament, but home soil is not enough to rise in altitude. Remembering the last championship, in this case, can be useful. And in the locker room there are several veterans who can explain to the new ones with what spirit they conquered the most difficult stadiums: the “Tombolato” itself, at the end of February, with a performance of tears and blood that matched the ardour and hunger of Cittadella (in which there was Pittarello, now on the yellow and red side of the barricade), or Palermo, Modena and Cosenza, among the most brilliant if there had not been, also and above all, the unparalleled blitz of Parma, a mix of the ability to suffer, resilience, intelligence and precision.
From Iemmello to Biasci, from Antonini to Brighenti, from Petriccione to Scognamillo up to Situmeach of them was present in all (or almost all, for those who arrived in January) of the away successes of the extraordinary journey made a year ago. They will not all start as starters, but they can show the way by referring to the progress shown at the “Ceravolo” in the last championship match.
Some are quite obvious: the growth in the creation of clear goal opportunities (57% according to Opta data) has transformed Catanzaro into the third force of the tournament, even if the percentage of shots on target (38%, third from bottom in the ranking) and the conversion rate (just 10%) need to be improved. We will have to be careful not to expose ourselves, especially at the beginning: Cittadella is the only one to have scored two goals in the first 15′ with its usual game made of aggression and immediate verticalizations (it is last for passes executed).
But even the Venetians have a short blanket that makes them vulnerable: they have suffered 75 conclusions, more than anyone else and almost double that of Catanzaro (who with 42 has the third most protected goal). With attention and the right spirit, you can start again even away from home. The men are there and they know how to do it. It’s about reconnecting. With last year, as with the victory two weeks ago.
