Cittadella extend winless run, but gain a point in Cosenza.
On April 15, 2023 by Jake IovineCittadella fought to a 1-1 draw against Cosenza in a critical match for both teams on Matchday 33 of Serie B.
Mirko Antonucci scored his tenth goal of the season for the Granata following the opening goal from the hosts, as ex-Cittadella midfielder Christian D’Urso put Cosenza on the board early on.
Both teams couldn’t afford a loss as the clock winds down on the campaign. It was a tremendous start from the hosts just 12 minutes in, when Manuel Marras picked out D’Urso at the far post to net the first goal of the match. For the first 20 minutes of the game, the Granata were outworked and out-hustled by an energetic Cosenza.
With their first attempt on goal, it was no other than Mirko Antonucci to pull Cittadella level after 27 minutes. Alessio Vita got his third assist of the season, threading a pass to Antonucci who’s shot deflected past Alessandro Micai.
For a large part of the match at the Stadio Gigi Marulla, the tempo was slow paced, with neither team creating a big opportunity in front of goal. After 65 minutes, Antonucci thought he had given the Venetians the lead, but a diving save by Micai to the near post denied the ex-Roma midfielder his brace.
Both teams were fighting enough for a valuable point, but didn’t dare to go the extra mile for the victory, as a loss would’ve been devastating for their respective seasons. Despite Cittadella having 62% of the possession, they were left frustrated by a resilient Cosenza defense.
The last chance of the game fell to the feet of Alessio Vita deep into stoppage time, where the ball fell right to the feet of the Roman at the top of the box. However, his shot sailed well over the bar, summing up both teams’ afternoon in Calabria.
Though not a horrible result, the draw leaves Cittadella on the outside of the relegation play-out zones on goal difference. With five games remaining, seven points separate 15th place Cittadella and rock bottom Benevento.
We are now entering the pivotal games of the season, and Cittadella have their hands full while still needing to play promotion battlers Genoa, Bari, and Südtirol. On the other side, Benevento awaits them at the Tombolato, while Como is the last match of the season.
Top Photo: Francesco Arena/LaPresse
