Antonucci fires his second goal of the season to draw with Brescia

A game where either team could’ve stolen the points. Cittadella extend their unbeaten streak to eight as Christmas nears.

A game against perhaps the toughest team in the league. In front of an electric home crowd, Brescia couldn’t find a way through. The Granata made life difficult for Pippo Inzaghi’s men in a 1-1 draw.

Cittadella were in fine form going into the Stadio Mario Rigamonti. With a seven match unbeaten run, Edoardo Gorini’s side did not feel bothered until the later stages. Despite a late flurry, Cittadella earns a solid road point to one of the promotion favorites.

There was a big surprise before the match even began. Cittadella’s top scorer Enrico Baldini was put on the sidelines despite the match being against a tough opponent. Baldini has proven to be a pivotal player in Cittadella’s season, scoring seven goals and assisting one, his career best. As it turns out, Gorini mentioned Baldini had a muscle problem, and no risks were going to be taken.

Without Baldini, though, Cittadella affirmed themselves early on to silence the hostile crowd. Alessio Vita nearly had a wonder strike from outside the eighteen, as the ball rattled the post.

The home team gradually settled the match down, but Cittadella didn’t hold back! A great defensive first half performance was shown in full display, led by Davide Adorni and Domenico Frare. Goalkeeper Elhan Kastrati had very little to do, other than a miscue that led to a foul outside the box. The Albanian keeper left his feet, and appeared to have brought down a oncoming Brescia attacker.

Chances came here and there for Cittadella, but it was all zeros on the scoreboard at halftime. A chance for Gorini to reorganize and adjust, the Granata started right where they left off.

A miscommunication sequence in the Brescia backline kept Christian D’Urso in the play, saving the ball from the end line. Surprised, Brescia were outnumbered in the penalty box, giving free space for Mirko Antonucci. In an empty net, Antonucci slotted the pass away, celebrating with the Cittadella fans who made the trip.

Full with confidence, Cittadella pushed once more for another goal. However, it also gave much-needed energy for Brescia, who were now waking up in front of their home fans.

A close chance for Beretta proved to bite Cittadella minutes later. With 19 minutes to go, a cross following a throw in beat Cittadella’s offside trap. Kastrati misjudged the cross, allowing Moreo to get the key flick on into the empty net.

Cittadella had a handful of opportunities to win it, but none of them were clear cut chances. A solid point in Lombardy is settled for Matchday 18. Going into Boxing Day, Cittadella near the midway point in their 2021/22 season, still fighting for promotion.

Cosenza and Vicenza are the remaining matches for the Granata before 2021 closes. Two winnable matches left, and two golden opportunities to end the year on a high note.

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