Serie B: A Devastating Start for the Three Relegated Teams—They All Lost

Ascoli, Padova, and Palermo got off to a strong start in Serie B, while Cesena also held onto hope—only to be held to a draw by Sampdoria in the closing minutes of a match that ended with the Bianconeri down to ten men. The two teams on the field at the Manuzzi Stadium were the only ones to earn just one point, at the end of a first matchday that otherwise consisted entirely of wins and losses.

Palermo’s victory was immediate—at least in terms of when the goal was scored—as they prevailed 1-0 in their home match against Juve Stabia thanks to a goal by Johnsen as early as the 4th minute. Padova achieved the same result, but on the road: the Biancoscudati’s 1-0 win in Pisa was sealed by Fusi in the 63rd minute. In Verona, Ascoli pulled off a comeback victory (the final score was 2-1 for the team from the Marche region), while, as mentioned, the match in Cesena ended in a draw: Shpendi scored in the 17th minute to give the home team the lead, though they were reduced to ten men in the 50th minute after Antonio David received his second yellow card. Then, in the 83rd minute, Henderson equalized for Sampdoria, making it 1-1.

At the Bentegodi Stadium, Hellas Verona bitterly rediscovered life in Serie B after seven consecutive seasons in Serie A. Ascoli, newly promoted from Serie C, fully deserved their comeback victory: after Verona took the lead through Mulattieri in the 22nd minute, the Marche-based side turned the result around in just four minutes of the second half, with Silipo and D’Uffizi sealing the 2-1 win. The match also featured a controversial refereeing decision in the first half, with Corradini initially shown a red card that was later changed to a yellow card following a VAR review. It’s worth noting that residents of the province of Ascoli were barred from traveling to the game, yet about thirty Bianconeri fans living elsewhere were able to celebrate in the stands in front of 16,000 disappointed Gialloblù supporters.

At the Manuzzi Stadium, the match between Cesena and Sampdoria had been billed on the eve of the game as a clash between two ambitious teams, both eager to get off on the right foot. Alessandro Diamanti’s Cesena took the field with a reshuffled defense—Magni, Ciofi, Ilic, and David in front of Siano—while Bernardo Corradi’s Sampdoria had to do without several key players, including Lauritsen, with Tutino called upon to lead the Blucerchiati attack alongside Forte. It was Henderson, one of the midfielders Corradi was counting on most, who proved to be the decisive player at the most crucial moment.

In Verona, Ascoli pulled off a comeback victory (the final score was 2-1 for the team from the Marche region), while, as mentioned, the match in Cesena ended in a draw: Shpendi scored in the 17th minute to give the home team the lead, but they were reduced to ten men in the 50th minute after Antonio David received his second yellow card. Then, in the 83rd minute, Henderson equalized for Sampdoria, making it 1-1.

It’s worth noting that some of the teams featured in this opening matchday had already faced off in the Coppa Italia last week, with some surprising results. Mantova, now with a perfect record in the standings, pulled off the feat of eliminating Gattuso’s Lazio 2-0 at the Olimpico in the second round of the competition, with goals from Ruocco and Cajazzo. Ascoli, on the other hand, suffered a 4-1 defeat on the road against Genoa, while Verona had to fight tooth and nail to get the better of Virtus Entella, ultimately prevailing only in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.

Based on these results, the current Serie B standings (in which, curiously, the three teams relegated from Serie A are all still stuck at 0 points) are as follows:

Vicenza 3, Ascoli 3, Mantua 3, Modena 3, Arezzo 3, Padua 3, Südtirol 3, Palermo 3, Empoli 3, Sampdoria 1, Cesena 1, Catanzaro 0, Avellino 0, Carrarese 0, Benevento 0, Verona 0, Pisa 0, Cremonese 0, Virtus Entella 0, Juve Stabia 0.

The next round of league play, scheduled for August 29, will already feature a highly anticipated Veneto derby: Padova and Verona will face off at 9:00 p.m., with the Biancoscudati seeking their second straight win and the Gialloblù desperately in need of redemption. On the same evening, Ascoli will host Carrarese, looking to build on their brilliant start to the season.