Palermo Stops Arezzo and Soars to the Top of the Standings, with Mantova Delivering a Strong Performance
This Sunday’s Serie B action saw two more teams with perfect records join Modena at the top of the standings after Modena had secured a road win against Cremonese on Friday. These are Mantova, which secured a commanding victory over Empoli, and Palermo, which put an end to Arezzo’s strong start to the season. Pisa finally got off the mark with a home win over Catanzaro, while Benevento and Südtirol played to a draw.
In Mantua, it was actually Empoli that took the lead, thanks to Saporiti’s goal in the 51st minute. In the final half-hour or so, Mantova staged a remarkable comeback: Ruocco equalized in the 58th minute, then Vanja Vlahovic in the 61st and Benaissa-Yahia in the 90th sealed the home team’s 3-1 victory. The action was even more thrilling in Arezzo, where Palermo built a two-goal lead with goals from Johnsen (21′) and Ranocchia (55′), only to be caught by Cianci (60′) and Tavernelli (74′), and it wasn’t until the 94th minute that they pulled off the feat when Augello sealed the 2-3 victory.
Another comeback—but with all the goals coming in the first half and, in fact, within less than ten minutes—unfolded in Pisa: Iemmello put Catanzaro ahead in the 22nd minute, Canestrelli in the 28th minute and Leone in the 30th minute sealed the 2-1 victory that snapped the Nerazzurri’s slump, coming off a loss in their home opener against Padova. Benevento also got off the mark in the standings, though they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against Südtirol: the visitors took the lead in the 69th minute through Merkaj, but Salvemini’s penalty in the 92nd minute prevented the Giallorossi from facing their first hint of a slump.
Modena, already sitting on six points after the first two matchdays, had kicked off the weekend with a convincing 3-0 win on Friday night at Zini Stadium against Cremonese. Leading Daniele Galloppa’s Canarini was an inspired Giacomo Olzer, who scored a brace in the 31st and 45th minutes, while Giuseppe Caso added the third goal in the second half. For Marco Giampaolo’s Cremonese, however, it has been a nightmare start: two losses in as many games, following a 1-0 defeat on the road against Empoli on Matchday 1, with the team failing to capitalize even on home-field advantage.
Filippo Inzaghi’s Palermo continues to be one of the most impressive teams so far this season. The Rosanero, who had already defeated Juve Stabia on opening day thanks to a goal by Johnsen in the 4th minute, now have six points in the standings and are emerging with increasing authority as contenders in the second-tier league. The Sicilian club’s campaign had already gotten off to a flying start in the Coppa Italia, with a decisive 2-0 victory over Serie A’s Lecce, courtesy of goals from Vavassori and Pohjanpalo. Among the key players in the comeback against Arezzo was Augello, a fullback who was also listed as a starter in the pre-match lineups; with his goal in the 94th minute—making it 2-3—he gave the Rosanero a hard-fought victory of great psychological importance.
Mantova, for its part, is building on an extraordinary start that dates back to the preseason. The Biancorossi had, in fact, pulled off the feat of eliminating Gattuso’s Lazio at the Olimpico in the Coppa Italia, winning 2-0 with goals from Ruocco and Cajazzo—the same Ruocco who opened the scoring in Sunday’s comeback victory over Empoli. This is a sign of consistency and strength that confirms the Virgilian team is no mere bit player in this league. In the final hours of the transfer window, keep an eye on the situation involving Leonardo Mancuso, who has caught the attention of Arezzo and Vicenza: his potential departure could reshape the offensive options available to the Mantua coaching staff.
