Back-and-forth action in the second half as Benevento and Avellino draw in the derby. The Serie B standings
The highly anticipated Campania derby between Benevento and Avellino, the final match of Saturday’s Serie B action, ended in a 1-1 draw: at the “Vigorito,” all the action took place in the second half, with Benevento taking the lead thanks to Siatounis in the 60th minute and Avellino equalizing seven minutes later with a goal by Cheddira. This marks the fourth draw in the six matches of the 11th round played on Saturday, confirming the great balance in the second division.
In fact, Padova-Empoli, Pisa-Südtirol, and Mantova-Verona also ended in draws. At the ‘Euganeo’ Stadium, it wasn’t enough for the home team to take a 1-0 lead with Artistico in the 14th minute and then go up 2-1 with Pastina in the 36th minute: Empoli first tied the game temporarily with a goal by Ceesay in the 30th minute and then secured the equalizer with a goal by Di Stefano in the 64th minute, for a final score of 2-2.
The same score was recorded in the Pisa vs. Südtirol match, which followed a similar pattern: the Nerazzurri took the lead in the 26th minute with Tramoni, Vasic equalized in the 33rd minute, Pisa regained the lead in the 73rd minute, and Vasic scored again to tie the game in the 76th minute, before the Serbian winger was sent off in the 89th minute. Meanwhile, the match at the ‘Martelli’ between Mantova and Hellas Verona ended 0-0, despite several scoring chances on both sides.
The remaining matches, however, all ended 1-0: Cesena defeated Catanzaro thanks to Jacopo Gelli’s decisive goal in the 83rd minute, while Juve Stabia beat Arezzo with Sibilli’s strike in the 2nd minute proving enough for a victory that allows the Vespe to pull away from the relegation zone despite their four-point penalty.
Serie B Standings
Palermo 27; Ascoli 20; Modena 20*; Mantova 19; Avellino 16; Benevento 16; Hellas Verona 16; Pisa 16; Padova 15; Cesena 15; Südtirol 15; Juve Stabia (-4) 12; Cremonese 12*; Arezzo 11; Virtus Entella 10; Carrarese 10; Vicenza 9; Empoli 9; Sampdoria 8; Catanzaro 6. (Teams marked with an asterisk have played one fewer game).
