Pisa vs Cittadella | All you need to know.
On March 19, 2022 by Jake IovineOne more game before a much needed rest. Cittadella visit Pisa fighting for their playoff lives.
Until the end of the season, every game will essentially be like a final. It’s that time of year once again, and this time Cittadella are fighting on the outside looking in.
A 0-0 draw against Reggina during the week did neither club any good for their campaigns. In need of a massive three points, Pisa provides another opportunity for the Granata to earn a priceless victory away from home.
Let’s get you up to date on the two teams.
Cittadella
For the first time in awhile, the international break will provide something positive for Edoardo Gorini’s men, and not a stoppage of their momentum.
Tired players and a dry spell of results, Cittadella have one more game to end on a high note before World Cup Qualifiers. This time they travel to Pisa, and will be hoping to win there for the second straight season.
Scoring has been a problem for Gorini, with two goals scored in the last four match. Those two goals scored, however, were penalty kicks. Thanks to an injury to Mamadou Tounkara, and a suspension of Orji Okwonkwo by the Anti-Doping Committee, Cittadella have lost two of their main strikers for most of the remaining season.
That’s not good considering Tounkara and Okwonkwo were meant to be starters when they were signed last summer. This means Giacomo Beretta has to step up and take the number 9 role, while Camillo Tavernelli has been providing as a backup.
These lack of goals have been costly for Cittadella as they fall further behind the playoff pack. With still Perugia and Ascoli on the remaining fixture list, it’s uncertain if the Granata will even be in touching distance by the time the games are played. As things stand, Cittadella sit in 10th place going into Sunday, currently five points behind Ascoli who are occupying the last playoff ticket.
Further along, Benevento and Frosinone leave a seven point gap between them and Cittadella, while Pisa and Brescia seem long in the distance.
A loss in Pisa could very well be the dagger in Cittadella’s playoff hopes. In contrast, a win is a massive confidence booster heading into the international break.
Pisa
Pisa has proved everybody wrong this season, including me!
Everyone said they’ll fall off at some point. They said they’ll fall towards mid table, or they’ll run out of steam. But with eight matches remaining, Pisa have their destiny in their own hands to be promoted back into Serie A.
With a tough schedule remaining, Luca D’Angelo’s side still have important and difficult matches to be played. These include games against Benevento, Brescia, Perugia, Lecce, and Frosinone. This difficult stretch of games all start on Sunday afternoon when Cittadella come to town.
Pisa know a win against the Granata will put them back into the top two of Serie B entering the international break. They’ll also be looking to put their minor setback in Ascoli during the week behind them.
While Pisa might be shaky in some parts of the team, they’ll have a massive home field advantage to carry along on Sunday afternoon. Pisa have only lost once all year at the Stadio Arena Garibaldi. Similar to last February where Lecce had their unbeaten run at home snapped by Cittadella, Pisa will have to be wary of keeping Cittadella out of the scoring sheet.
Despite not scoring since October 2nd of last year, promising striker Lorenzo Lucca still poses a threat for the Granata‘s defense. It only takes one opportunity, one deflection, and one moment for a striker to regain his confidence. While Lucca hasn’t been the same like earlier in the season, the dangers are still there and Cittadella must be careful of that.