Arezzo snatch late victory against Avellino in Serie B opener
Arezzo came from behind to beat Avellino 2-1 on Saturday night in the opening round of the Serie B season. The visitors took the lead in the 90th minute through Ionita, after Cianci had equalised from the penalty spot. Avellino started brightly enough, with Russo finding the net in the 15th minute, but Arezzo's resilience saw them through.
Russo opened the scoring early on, and it seemed Avellino might control the tempo. But then Cianci was awarded a penalty after 56 minutes and did not look to be one to shy away from responsibility. The equaliser shifted things, though Avellino still looked dangerous. Ionita's late strike was the difference, and Arezzo held on to claim all three points.
Both sides created similar opportunities — Avellino won 36 aerial duels to Arezzo's 36, and each team generated two big chances. Avellino had more attacks at 91 to 79, but Arezzo were slightly more clinical in their final third. The shot accuracy figures tell a similar story: Avellino managed 27 per cent, Arezzo 20 per cent. Three shots on target for each side, but Arezzo's came at the crucial moments.
The result leaves both teams level on three points after two games. Avellino sit eighth, Arezzo ninth, and neither can claim superiority yet. The visitors' recent form had been mixed — a 2-0 win over Union Brescia followed an 0-1 defeat to Cagliari — while Avellino came off a heavy 3-0 loss to Monza. This was not a statement game by either side, but Arezzo showed they could respond when needed.
Avellino will have to take more from this, especially after dominating possession at 60 per cent. Arezzo managed just 40 per cent, but they took what they got. The gap between them in the table is negligible, and both will be watching their next fixtures closely.