The first legs of the Serie B promotion play-off semi-finals were played this evening, with Spezia earning a comfortable 2-0 win away to Catanzaro, while Cremonese lost 2-1 at Juve Stabia.
Sassuolo and Pisa already secured automatic promotion, so there is one more spot left to be in Serie A next season.
These ties will be decided with the second leg played on Sunday May 25, then the Final is played on Thursday May 29 and Sunday June 1.
In the preliminary rounds, Catanzaro saw off Cesena, while Juve Stabia eliminated Palermo.
Spezia and Cremonese earned direct access to the semi-finals after finishing third and fourth respectively in the Serie B table.
The rules state that if the play-offs are tied after two legs, then the team that finished higher up the regular season Serie B standings will go through.
There are no plans for extra time or a penalty shoot-out.
Serie B promotion play-off semi-finals
Spezia have one foot in the Final after their comfortable 2-0 victory away to Catanzaro.
They came out fighting in the second half, as Francesco Pio Esposito sparked the rapid counter-attack so Giuseppe Aurelio set up Giuseppe Di Sergio’s tap-in, then Esposito got his own name on the scoresheet with a splendid free kick.
Catanzaro 0-2 Spezia
Di Serio 49 (S), Pio Esposito 61 (S)
Player statistic
| 18' |  |
Salvatore Elia | ||
| 22' | |
Giuseppe Aurelio | ||
| Giacomo Quagliata | |
26' | ||
| Nicolò Brighenti | |
40' |
| 47' | |
Francesco Pio Esposito | ||
| 49' |  |
Giuseppe Di Serio | ||
| 61' | |
Francesco Pio Esposito | ||
| 90+5' | |
Petko Hristov |
Match statistic
Starting lineups
Substitutes
The other semi-final is a little more in the balance, as Juve Stabia have a slender 2-1 advantage over Cremonese after the first leg.
The hosts dominated the opening stages, eventually making it count with Christian Pierobon ready to pounce on the deflected Andrea Adorante cross.
They should’ve had more with Romano Floriani Mussolini thumping the crossbar, then did double their lead when Andrea Fulignati fingertipped a Leonardo Candellone header into the path of Adorante.
Cremonese had the opportunity to get back into it moments later only for Manuel De Luca to blast his penalty into the stands.
They did get one back in the end with Dennis Johnsen meeting the Tommaso Barbieri low cross.
Juve Stabia 2-1 Cremonese
Pierobon 34 (JS), Adorante 58 (JS), Johnsen 77 (C)
Missed penalty: De Luca 63 (C)
Player statistic
| Christian Pierobon | |
34' | ||
| Nicola Mosti | |
38' |
| Marco Ruggero | |
55' | ||
| Andrea Adorante | |
58' | ||
| 63' |  |
Manuel De Luca | ||
| 77' | |
Dennis Johnsen (Assist: Tommaso Barbieri) | ||
| Patryk Peda | |
79' |
Match statistic
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