Sudtirol faces Spezia tonight at 19:30 at Druso Stadium, Bolzano, for the 28th round of Serie B, with both teams having differing ambitions. Sudtirol finds itself fighting to avoid relegation, currently holding the 17th spot on the table with 29 points, alongside Sampdoria and Mantova. The stakes are high for Sudtirol, having not clinched any significant wins recently, and they are under pressure as the threat of dropping to lower divisions looms closer.
The home side, coached by Fabrizio Castori, heads to this match after securing four points from their last three outings, including one victory, one draw, and one loss. Sudtirol’s last game resulted in a draw against Brescia with the score tied at 0-0, making this match even more pivotal for them.
On the other side, Spezia presents strong competition, currently positioned 3rd on the table with 50 points. The team is focused on solidifying its playoff standing and remains seven points shy of direct promotion, which adds additional pressure following their disappointing home loss to Catanzaro last match. The bianconeri are eager to return to winning form after two draws and one loss over their last three matches.
Spezia's coach, Domenico D’Angelo, is likely to utilize the same 3-5-2 formation as Sudtirol, aiming to exploit any weaknesses presented by the home side. The last encounter between these teams was marked by triumph for Spezia, who walked away with a 3-0 victory earlier this season. Not only do past results favor Spezia, but the dominance is clear across historical meetings: Spezia has never lost to Sudtirol, winning twice and securing one draw out of their previous three meetings.
The official lineups for the match indicate strategic choices aimed at maximizing each team's potential. Sudtirol will field Adamonis; Giorgini, Pietrangeli, and Veseli will line up defensively; with Molina and Barreca providing width; Pyythia, Praszelik, and Casiraghi control the midfield, feeding forward to the forwards Merkaj and Odogwu. Spezia will respond with Chichizola as goalkeeper; Wisniewski, Hristov, and Bertola make up the defense; Mateju and Vignali will oversee the wide midfield roles, Patricia Esposito, Bandinelli, and Degl’ Innocenti will manage central midfield duties, and their attacking forces include Francesco Pio Esposito and Colak.
Referee Giovanni Ayoroldi will officiate tonight’s encounter, supported by his assistants Votta and Trasciatti, with VAR overseen by Mazzoleni and Nasca. This match not only bears significance due to points at stake but also due to the reputations tied to the performance of both teams; whether Sudtirol can break their winless run against Spezia and seek salvation or whether Spezia can regain their footing for promotion remains to be seen.
A victory for Sudtirol could prove invaluable as they strive for safety, whilst failing to secure points could deepen their concerns about relegation. Conversely, for Spezia, each match is pivotal to keep pressure on the teams above them and retain their playoff position as they eye promotion back to Serie A.
With the match approaching, anticipation builds; fans are eager to see how tactically aligned Sudtirol can contend with the well-established Spezia side. Sudtirol SFC and Spezia Calcio have distinct aspirations on this chilly February evening. Follow along as these two teams battle it out to advance their respective goals this season.