SPAL vs Cittadella | All you need to know.
On March 1, 2022 by Jake IovineDespite a difficult history against SPAL, Cittadella look to ignore that, aiming for their third straight win. Edoardo Gorini meets his former teacher Roberto Venturato in another midweek match.
Only 12 games remain in the Serie B regular season, and we are very well approaching crunch time. For Cittadella, two back to back wins against tough opponents pulls the Granata within touching distance of a playoff spot.
They travel just a little south to Ferrara, where ex-Cittadella head coach Roberto Venturato stands with his new team, SPAL. I Biancazzurri have been underwhelming this season, struggling to stay afloat above the relegation line.
Here’s an insider on both teams for the Wednesday night clash.
Cittadella
Cittadella are coming off an emphatic 3-0 victory against Frosinone. Granata fans finally saw their team win a game at the Tombolato, something that hadn’t been done since December 11th against Ascoli.
Certainly feeling it now, Cittadella have the opportunity to climb into a top 8 spot with a result in Ferrara. Thanks to Perugia dropping points on Tuesday, a win for Cittadella would all but certainly put them back into playoff position. Games are running out quick and fast, and Edoardo Gorini’s men will have to put all the eggs in the basket for the remaining games.
Once again, Orji Okwonkwo, Andrea Danzi, and Vincenzo Ciriello will not make the trip to Ferrara. Gorini will still have a lot to pick from in his arsenal. Forwards Giacomo Beretta and Mamadou Tounkara stole the spot light on the weekend, which Gorini is hoping to see more of. In addition, Simone Branca has played an important role back in the midfield.
Cittadella have been solid on the road this year so far. Gorini’s men have racked 20 points in their 13 road matches, and have only lost three times while away from home.
SPAL
After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, SPAL have regressed since crashing out on a chance for promotion. In fact, now they face an unlikely but still risky chance of dropping into a relegation battle.
Life under Josep Clotet was not looking good, having lost eight matches from the start of the season to the end of 2021. In came Roberto Venturato: the ex-Cittadella head coach that is trying to save SPAL’s dismal season.
SPAL are hoping to see Venturato’s magic start to form, but at the moment it hasn’t quite worked out to plan. Since Venturato took over at the start of the new year, SPAL have only managed one win in eight games, and still, the risk of being relegated remains.
One of their problems comes from the defense. This season, the defense have been leaking goals left and right, and have given up 15 goals since the start of 2022. That area must improve if Venturato’s side want to stay up.
Despite the struggles of this season, SPAL will be feeling good about their history against the Granata. Cittadella have beaten SPAL only twice in their last seven meetings. In addition, the last time SPAL lost to Cittadella was over four years ago, in a 2-0 Coppa Italia loss.