2026-2027 Serie B: Vicenza vs. Catanzaro, Probable Lineups

The “Romeo Menti” Stadium in Vicenza will host the opening match of the 2026–2027 Serie B season: The home team, the Biancorossi—back in Serie B after four years in Serie C thanks to their victory in Group A last year—will host Catanzaro at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, August 21. one of last season’s surprise teams, which came close to promotion to Serie A but lost the playoff final to Monza.

Vicenza has already played one official match, in the Coppa Italia, with an unfortunate outcome: Facing Catania in the first round of the knockout tournament, the Berici took the lead through Moncini in the 25th minute, only to be pegged back in the 39th minute by a penalty converted by Cicerelli. After a 1-1 draw in regulation, the penalty shootout went in favor of Catania: fatal mistakes by Vicenza’s Costa and Morra rendered the goals scored by Leverbe, Rauti, and Valoti futile.

Catanzaro also lost on penalty kicks in the first round of the Coppa Italia, in this case against another Serie B club, Südtirol: after coming back—with goals by Pafundi in the 27th minute and Iemmello in the 53rd—from Pyythia’s goal for the Biancorossi in the 17th minute, the Calabrians were tied in the 85th minute by Mixtur and were forced into a penalty shootout. Südtirol immediately missed a penalty with Stivanello but didn’t miss again, while Catanzaro paid the price for errors by Frosinini and Dorval, thus bowing out of the Cup.

Probable Lineups

VICENZA (3-5-2): Gagno; Cuomo, Leverbe, Sandon; Caferri, Zonta, Carraro, Pellizzari, Costa; Moncini, Rauti. Coach: Gallo

CATANZARO (3-4-2-1): Pigliacelli; Ruggero, Verrengia, Antonini; D’Alessandro, Petriccione, Mosti, Candela; Alesi, Iemmello, Koffi. Coach: Gorgone