Playoff Serie B, semifinals set: Juve Stabia freezes Modena, Catanzaro avalanche on'Avellino

The semifinalists of the Serie B playoffs were determined Tuesday night. In the first match, Juve Stabia beat Modena 1-0 at Braglia, qualifying for the next round, where they will face Monza. The Campani won on the field of the Canarini 1-0 thanks to Kevin Zeroli’s goal, which came in the 86th minute: the player of Abate’s team, on loan from Milan, scored with a great acrobatic gesture, sending the ball behind Pezzolato, goalkeeper of Sottil’s formation.

In the evening’s match, Catanzaro won a clear-cut victory against Avellino 3-0: the Calabrians, who will face Palermo in the semifinals, won thanks to goals by Pontisso at 41′, Cassandro at 83′ and Iemmello on a penalty kick at 93′. For the hosts, there was also a crossbar by Pontisso.

The first leg of the playoff semifinals is scheduled for the weekend:
Juve Stabia-Monza on Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. (return in Monza on Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m.).
Catanzaro-Palermo on Sunday, May 17 at 8 p.m. (return to Palermo on Wednesday, May 20 at 8 p.m.).
Monza and Palermo, by virtue of their better position in the standings, will qualify for the final if the double-header ends in a draw.

Zeroli, a midfielder born in 2005, had arrived at Juve Stabia in the winter market precisely on loan from AC Milan, which had settled several youngsters on their way out during the January session. His decisive goal at Braglia represents the high point of a growing season for the talented Rossoneri, who has been able to establish himself in such a competitive environment as the Serie B playoffs. The two semifinals will now pit the teams from the preliminary round against the top seeds in the postseason. Monza, third at the end of the regular season, and Palermo, fourth, enter this phase directly and will start with the double advantage of the best position in the standings: in case of an overall tie after the 180 minutes, they will be the ones to advance to the final, without the need for extra time or penalty kicks. The winner of the final act – with the first leg on May 24 and the return leg on May 29 – will punch the third and final ticket to Serie A, joining Venezia and Frosinone, already promoted at the end of the regular season.