There can’t be a better stop for the Catanzarointruder (but up to a certain point) at the top of the B series. Two consecutive full houses away, predictions overturned and a ranking that makes you dream. With the 1-0 defeat against Sudtirol, the Giallorossi are third with 18 points, two on average per game and on par with Venezia. Those who claim – and there are many of them – that Vivarini’s team is the revelation of the tournament are right, strengthened by the results that add to the beautiful and effective game. Home or away there is no difference. Parma and Venice are built with American millions, Palermo with those from the Emirates, in all three cases with much more money than a provincial freshman who seems like a stranger (at least looking at the budgets), but who flies high due to the merits of careful management of the property, of the clear ideas of those who equipped the squad and those who train it every day.
Away format
After obtaining victory number 300 in Serie B in Marassi, Catanzaro in Bolzano added another small parenthesis to its history: never before had it started the Serie B championship with a five-match unbeaten away streak. Among other things, these were not banal away matches, given that the tournament started in Cremona, continued in Padua against Lecco (who were making their debut), in Bari, in Genoa and, indeed, against the “Druso” of Bolzano, where until last Saturday Sudtirol had never lost and last year they had fallen just three times. Away from home, only Palermo is traveling stronger: Corini’s team has bagged 13 points out of 15, Vivarini’s 11 in five matches, scoring the same number of goals as the rosanero (nine).
The game
It wasn’t easy to take all the swag in Alto Adige, but the success was achieved with merit and with the usual weapons: possession and verticalisations, tactical application, obviously the qualities of the individuals and an ability to suffer – and then respond blow for blow – which is the main difference compared to Serie C, when there was little suffering due to manifest superiority. Now that this obvious superiority cannot exist – the level of the opponents is on average much higher – Catanzaro is obtaining the surplus from the maneuver, unrolled by heart against anyone. In the first half, Sudtirol never saw the ball, Ghion and company kept the ball in their hands for almost double the minutes and took the lead at the end, despite having had two other clear chances before the goal.
The bomber. As if to apologize for the wait, Pietro Iemmello broke more than a month of fasting (he hadn’t scored since September 3rd against Lecco) with a great right-footed shot from outside the area. An unprecedented move for the attacker, who caught a pearl for his 41st center for the Giallorossi. Two goals so far may be a meager haul for someone used to much larger numbers even in Serie B, but the captain’s performances in Genoa and Bolzano were more productive than the assist provided to Brignola with Samp or the personal signature in Alto Adige. A leader, Iemmello.
The episode. Francesca Fiori, a neighborhood councilor in Bolzano, reported in the local press that she had been attacked by some Catanzaro fans during the match “after having accidentally bumped the shoulder” of a Giallorossi supporter. Fiori herself underlined that she had not filed a complaint because “these are things that happen to her during a match”.
The note with which the club led by president Floriano Noto expressed “unconditional solidarity with the woman” was precise, condemning all forms of violence, but also highlighting that the fact, “as reported to the press”, cannot be classified as “things that happen in a stadium.” For this reason we invite the police to shed full light on the matter, clarifying the real dynamics and identifying any perpetrators also to safeguard the image of an entire fan base.”