Juve Stabia showed remarkable courage but couldn't withstand the pressure from Pisa, succumbing to their second-place rivals after initially taking the lead. The Vespe's hopes for turnaround moments faded as they suffered their eighth defeat of the season at the Arena Garibaldi.
The match started at high intensity, with both teams eager to gain control. Juve Stabia's coach, Guido Pagliuca, set his side up with a 3-4-1-2 formation, featuring Thiam as goalkeeper and the defensive trio made up of Ruggero, Quaranta, and Bellich. The wide positions were taken up by Floriani Mussolini and Fortini, providing support to the midfield pair Pierobon and Buglio, with attackers Piscopo and Candellone backing up Adorante.
Pisa, under Filippo Inzaghi's guidance, pressed early, creating openings and testing Juve Stabia's defense. A close moment arrived at the 6th minute when Lind's attempt endangered Thiam, but the ball went out wide. Forward Moreo threatened shortly after, but Juve's defense held firm.
The first real chance fell to Juve Stabia at 16 minutes when Candellone made his attempt, sending the feeble shot straight at goalkeeper Semper. After nearly conceding, Pisa began to dominate possession again, capitalizing on Juve Stabia's defensive miscues.
Things took a turn for the worse for Juve Stabia at the 36th minute when Candellone's foul resulted in his dismissal after the VAR intervention. This setback left the Vespe with ten men, forcing them to adjust their strategy to hold back Pisa's onslaught.
At halftime, the score remained 0-0, though tensions were high as Juve Stabia aimed to stay competitive. The second half kicked off with more urgency from both teams, and just before the hour mark, Juve Stabia struck first. An error from Pisa's Canestrelli left Marin to capitalize, inadvertently scoring an own goal and putting Juve Stabia up 1-0.
Nevertheless, Pisa responded quickly. The turning point came at the 62nd minute when Quaranta's slight foul on Piccinini led to a penalty. Tramoni, stepping up to take the shot, succeeded, leveling the match at 1-1.
After building momentum, Pisa took control of the match, with Morutan scoring the second goal shortly after. This goal solidified their advantage and sent the Juve Stabia players scrambling to regroup. Finally, Moreo sealed the victory at the 77th minute with a well-placed shot, edging the score to 3-1.
Despite the loss, Juve Stabia is set to return to the Menti stadium next week, where they will face Cittadella, searching for redemption.
The match statistics reflect Pisa's dominance, especially after Juve Stabia's red card. Yet, the Vespe's performance showcased resilience against challenging circumstances.