Vicenza Edge Catanzaro in Tight Serie B Opener
Vicenza claimed a 3-2 victory over Catanzaro at Stadio Romeo Menti on Thursday evening, securing their first points of the Serie B campaign. The hosts finished ahead despite trailing 2-1 at the interval, with two late goals turning the match. Both sides entered the fixture with mixed recent form, though Catanzaro had yet to register any points from their opening two games.
Catanzaro struck first through M. D'Alessandro in the seventeenth minute, capitalising on early pressure. Vicenza responded through G. Cuomo just before half-time, but B. Verrengia restored the visitors' lead five minutes into the second period. That second-half start gave the visitors a cushion, and they appeared comfortable until Vicenza switched approach.
The turning point came after the hour mark when Vicenza pushed forward more decisively. A. Pietrelli found the net in the eightieth minute to level proceedings, and C. Morra sealed the comeback in the final minutes. The game had turned on those three goals in quick succession, and the crowd sensed blood when the equaliser went in.
Vicenza dominated possession of the ball with 47 per cent compared to Catanzaro's 53, but the statistics tell a more interesting story. The hosts registered 18 shots against just 10 from the visitors, with nine attempts finding the target on each side. Catanzaro created only one big chance while Vicenza managed two, suggesting the result reflected efficiency rather than volume.
The result leaves Vicenza in twelfth place with three points from two matches, while Catanzaro remain bottom of the table with zero points from their opening two fixtures. The visitors had drawn 2-2 with South Tyrol in their previous game but have now lost both opening encounters. Vicenza's victory comes after a 1-1 draw with Catania in their last outing.
Both teams made several changes during the contest, with Vicenza bringing on M. Carraro and L. Caferri together in the sixty-second minute. Catanzaro introduced N. Koffi, N. Mosti and G. Alesi in a triple substitution in the eighty-second minute, perhaps sensing they needed fresh legs. Five yellow cards were shown in total, with no red cards to disrupt the flow of play.