The 36th round of the Serie B season proved decisive for some and heartbreaking for others, as the race for promotion and the push for playoff spots intensified.
Pisa moved within a single point of promotion to Serie A after a narrow 1-0 win over Frosinone, thanks to a late strike from Meister in the 81st minute. However, their celebrations were postponed as Spezia produced a crucial 2-0 victory over Salernitana, with goals from Kouda (22’) and Vignali (79’), delaying Pisa’s mathematical confirmation.
Elsewhere, several promotion and playoff hopefuls faltered. Cesena were soundly beaten 3-0 by a clinical Mantova, while Bari fell 1-0 to Cosenza and Palermo slumped to a 2-1 loss against Südtirol. The Reggiana-Modena derby ended in a thrilling 3-2 win for Reggiana, and Sampdoria and Cremonese played out a goalless draw.
Juve Stabia took a major step toward securing a playoff spot with a confident 2-0 home win over direct rivals Catanzaro, who are now winless in five consecutive matches.
The “Vespe” came out with intent in front of their home fans, pressing relentlessly and immediately forcing mistakes from Catanzaro’s back line, who picked up two early yellow cards, with Antonini and Scognamillo both cautioned. The breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute when Fortini delivered a dangerous cross into the area and Mosti managed to get just enough contact to glance the ball into the net.
Stabia came close to doubling their lead on two occasions before finally making it 2-0 in the 41st minute. A chaotic sequence in the box led to a VAR intervention after the referee had initially overlooked a potential offside. It was correctly determined that Sgarbi was positioned legally, as he was behind the halfway line at the moment of the pass. The decisive moment came when Scognamillo was found guilty of handling the ball inside the box. Despite heavy protests, the penalty was awarded, and Candellone made no mistake from the spot.
Catanzaro coach Fabio Caserta made several changes in the second half to shift the momentum, but Juve Stabia remained firmly in control. The visitors’ only clear chance came in the 59th minute, but Thiam made a brilliant save to deny Pontisso. Meanwhile, Candellone came close to adding a third goal on two separate occasions, narrowly missing out.
With the win, Juve Stabia climb to 53 points, tightening their grip on a playoff place. Catanzaro, meanwhile, stay on 48 and are now under increasing pressure after going five games without a win.
