“Tommaso Cancellotti picked up an early yellow card for a foul, a booking that would limit his effectiveness for the remainder of the match and set a fractious early tone.”
“Catanzaro broke the deadlock just before half-time after a frantic goalmouth scramble. Besaggio's shot was saved, Russo's effort was blocked, and Liberali's attempt was also kept out — but Simone Pontisso was on hand to convert the rebound and give the hosts a deserved lead.”
Pivotal“Tommaso Cassandro doubled Catanzaro's advantage with a well-constructed move, finishing off an assist from Costantino Favasuli to put the result beyond any doubt three minutes after coming on as a substitute.”
Pivotal“Pietro Iemmello stepped up in stoppage time to convert a penalty and complete a ruthless finish to the evening for Catanzaro, sealing a 3-0 win minutes after arriving from the bench.”
Catanzaro
Avellino
Outstanding performance
Catanzaro•DefenderCatanzaro were the sharper, more clinical side despite Avellino enjoying marginally more possession and generating a higher volume of dangerous attacks. The hosts absorbed pressure patiently and struck when it mattered most, with Simone Pontisso breaking the deadlock just before the interval after a spell of sustained pressure that saw three shots in quick succession. The second half told a more emphatic story: a wave of substitutions around the hour mark injected energy into Catanzaro's play, and Tommaso Cassandro's 83rd-minute goal, assisted by Costantino Favasuli, killed the contest before Pietro Iemmello tucked away a penalty deep into stoppage time to complete a comprehensive win. Avellino's stats — 53% possession, 50 dangerous attacks, and 21 tackles — paint a picture of a side that worked hard but lacked the cutting edge to threaten, managing just three shots on target all evening. For Catanzaro, this is a statement result that reinforces their mid-table solidity; for Avellino, a sobering defeat that will raise questions about their attacking output.
How entertaining was this match?
Goal in the penalty shootout! Pietro Iemmello scores, making it 3-0.
Filippo Pittarello takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
Tommaso Biasci takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Martin Palumbo takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Tommaso CassandroTommaso Cassandro takes a shot with his right foot and scores.
assist: Costantino Favasuli
Goal! Tommaso Cassandro scores to make it 2-0, assisted by Costantino Favasuli.
Pietro Iemmello comes on for Gabriele Alesi.
Ruggero Frosinini is on, and Mattia Liberali is off.
Marco Pompetti comes on for Simone Pontisso.
Mattia Liberali takes a left-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Costantino Favasuli's right-footed shot is saved.
Roberto Insigne takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Filippo Pittarello takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Luca Pandolfi takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Luca Pandolfi's header goes wide.
Fabio Rispoli replaces Federico Di Francesco.
Filippo Missori takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Roberto Insigne replaces Dimitrios Sounas.
Tommaso Biasci comes on for Cosimo Patierno.
Luca Pandolfi comes on for Michele Besaggio.
VAR decision results in a cancelled goal for Federico Di Francesco.
Federico Di FrancescoFederico Di Francesco takes a shot with his head and scores a goal.
Gabriele Alesi takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Mattia Liberali's left-footed shot is saved.
Mattia Liberali's left-footed shot is blocked.
The first half ends with a score of 1-0.
Simone PontissoSimone Pontisso takes a shot with his right foot and scores.
assist: Jacopo Petriccione
Goal! Simone Pontisso scores, making it 1-0.
Mattia Liberali has a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Raffaele Russo's right-footed shot is blocked.
Michele Besaggio's right-footed shot is saved.
Federico Di Francesco's left-footed shot is blocked.
Filippo Pittarello takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Costantino Favasuli takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Cosimo Patierno's left-footed shot is blocked.
Simone Pontisso takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Federico Di Francesco takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Filippo Pittarello's right-footed shot is blocked.
Mattia Liberali's left-footed shot is blocked.
Tommaso CancellottiYellow CardTommaso Cancellotti receives a yellow card.
Tommaso Cassandro takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Dimitrios Sounas takes a shot with his right foot, but it is saved.
Catanzaro host Avellino in a spicy southern derby at the Stadio Nicola Ceravolo, with 5th-placed Catanzaro looking to cement their playoff credentials against an Avellino side hungry to close the gap. Ten points separate these rivals in the standings, but derbies rarely follow the formbook.
