Serie B: Dramatic Catanzaro comeback dooms Brescia

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated 5/18/24

Catanzaro needed a dramatic comeback and 4-2 extra time victory over Brescia with Pietro Iemmello’s brace to book a Serie B promotion play-off semi-final against Cremonese.

The Serie B play-off semi-finals are now set with Palermo-Venezia and Catanzaro-Cremonese to be played over two legs.

It took the Rondinelle just eight minutes to take the lead, as Gabriele Moncini knocked down the Dimitri Bisoli long ball for Nicolas Galazzi to bundle over the line from close range.

The hosts thought they had equalised with Jari Vandeputte, but his strike off the outside of the right boot thumped the upright.

It was only a warning, as moments later Pietro Iemmello spun round in the box to fire left-footed into the net.

Iemmello almost turned it around completely, denied by a Luca Lezzerini fingertip save at the top corner, and instead Moncini restored Brescia’s advantage by pouncing on a defensive slip.

Just as it looked as if the game would end 2-1 for Brescia, Catanzaro equalised deep into stoppages with Alfredo Donnarumma’s header on a corner to force extra time.

Due to the play-off rules, if it was still level after extra time, then Catanzaro would go through as they finished higher up the Serie B table in the regular season.

Serie B play-off in extra time

Andrea Fulignati denied the Lorenzo Dickmann strike and Davide Adorni nodded off target, but it was the hosts who turned it around through Enrico Brignola’s acrobatic finish.

Catanzaro goalkeeper Fulignati remained decisive on Bisoli, but then had to limp off at the 118^th minute with muscular problems.

Andrea Sala came on and was almost beaten within 60 seconds, as Giacomo Olzer got around him only to fire over the empty net.

Instead, Catanzaro added a fourth on the counter-attack with Iemmello, who dinked a delicate finish over the on-rushing goalkeeper.

Catanzaro 4-2 Brescia (aet)

Galazzi 8 (B), Iemmello 26, 121 (C), Moncini 52 (B), Donnarumma 96 (C), Brignola 105 (C)

18-05-2024 19:30 1/4 Final Stadio Nicola Ceravolo

Catanzaro

Brescia 2 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		8'		Nicolas Galazzi (Assist: Gabriele Moncini)
Pietro Iemmello (Assist: Tommaso Biasci)		26'

2nd half

	52'	Gabriele Moncini
Stefano Scognamillo	60'
	67'	Gabriele Moncini
Pietro Iemmello

90+4' Alfredo Donnarumma (Assist: Andrea Oliveri)

90+6'

Match statistic

63 Possession % 37 20 Total shots 10 6 Shots on target 6 10 Shots off target 3 4 Blocked shots 1 9 Corners 1 3 Offsides 2 15 Fouls 12 Catanzaro Brescia

Starting lineups

Andrea Fulignati Goalkeeper 72 Davide Veroli Defender 61' 4 Matias Antonini Defender 23

Nicolò Brighenti Defender 14 Stefano Scognamillo Defender 24 Dimitrios Sounas Midfielder 71' 10

Jacopo Petriccione Midfielder 27 Jari Vandeputte Midfielder 82' 20

Simone Pontisso Midfielder 71' 9 Pietro Iemmello Attacker 28 Tommaso Biasci Attacker 71' 1 Luca Lezzerini Goalkeeper 18 Alexander Jallow Defender 15

Andrea Cistana Defender 28 Davide Adorni Defender 24

Lorenzo Dickmann Defender 25

Dimitri Bisoli Midfielder 4 Fabrizio Paghera Midfielder 67' 39 Michele Besaggio Midfielder 79' 9 Flavio Bianchi Attacker 67' 11

Gabriele Moncini Attacker

67' 23 Nicolas Galazzi Attacker

Substitutes

Luka Krajnc Defender 21 Marco Pompetti Midfielder 16 Andrea Sala Goalkeeper 44 Kevin Miranda Defender 22 Edoardo Borrelli Goalkeeper 41 Alessandro Viotti Attacker 40 Giacint Rafele Attacker 33 Andrea Oliveri Midfielder 61' 99

Alfredo Donnarumma Attacker 71' 8 Luca Verna Midfielder 71' 19 Matteo Stoppa Attacker 71' 17

Enrico Brignola Attacker 82' 6

Mohamed Fares Midfielder 22

Lorenzo Andrenacci Goalkeeper 14

Massimiliano Mangraviti Attacker 3

Matthieu Huard Defender 20 Patrick Nuamah Midfielder 21 Riccardo Fogliata Midfielder 31 Matteo Ferro Attacker 5

Tom van de Looi Midfielder 67' 27 Giacomo Olzer Midfielder 67' 26

Massimo Bertagnoli Midfielder 79' 32

Andrea Papetti Defender

85' 7

Birkir Bjarnason Midfielder

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.