Who will make it to Serie A? Journalists are making their predictions
Which teams do journalists think have a shot at direct promotion to Serie B for the 2026-27 season? Sportal.it also participated in the Tuttopalermo.net poll by sharing their opinions.
Meanwhile, there were goals and excitement in the first match of the Serie B season: newly promoted Vicenza defeated Catanzaro 3-2 in the game played Friday evening at the Menti Stadium. Last season, the Calabrians came very close to promotion, winning 2-0 on the road against Monza after having been defeated at home by the Brianza-based team in the first leg by the same score.
The match was full of excitement right from the opening minutes: D’Alessandro broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, receiving a pass from Alesi, cutting inside the box, and firing a splendid right-footed shot into the near corner near the crossbar. Vicenza responded strongly and, after three missed chances, equalized in the 39th minute through Cuomo, who delivered a decisive header off a corner kick taken by Costa.
In the second half, Catanzaro regained the lead thanks to Verrengia, who capitalized on a defensive lapse by the Venetians to score on a tap-in following a corner kick. The Biancorossi, however, didn’t lose their composure: in the 60th minute, Pellizzari hit the post, while Pigliacelli kept the Calabrians in the game in the 64th and 68th minutes with two spectacular saves. In the 80th minute, the score was tied at 2-2: again following a corner kick, Pietrelli scored with a header, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Catanzaro. The decisive 3-2 goal came in the 89th minute from substitute Morra, assisted by Rauti, giving Gallo’s team its first win of the season.
For Vicenza, this marks a dream debut in Serie B, a division they’ve returned to after four years in Serie C: the Biancorossi earned their promotion to the second tier by winning Group A of last season’s third division. The road to opening day, however, was not without obstacles: in the Coppa Italia, in the first round against Catania, Vicenza took the lead through Moncini only to be pegged back and lose on penalty kicks, with Costa and Morra missing crucial shots.
Catanzaro, too, had been eliminated from the Coppa Italia prematurely, knocked out by Südtirol on penalty kicks after coming back to take the lead during regulation time thanks to goals by Pafundi and Iemmello, only to be tied in the 85th minute. For the Calabrians, this marks a difficult start to the season, following the high hopes fueled by last season’s playoff run.
