Cittadella 0-2 Spezia: First half double enough for Aquilotti win

Two first half goals were enough for Spezia to secure a third straight victory, beating Cittadella 0-2 on Saturday afternoon.

A 20th minute strike by Luca Vignali, who scored his third goal in two games, as well as an own goal by left back Lorenzo Carissoni, gave the visitors a two-goal advantage going into halftime. Cittadella could not muster a comeback in the second half despite an improved performance after the break.

“It’s the second home game where we trailed by two goals but in the second half we improve,” Cittadella head coach Alessandro Dal Canto said in his postgame interview. “I don’t know if it happens because we have nothing left to lose or for other reasons.”

Spezia entered the weekend trailing 2nd-placed Pisa by eight points, while Cittadella aimed to extend the gap above the relegation zone. The Aquilotti struck first after 20 minutes when Vignali finished a chaotic sequence in the penalty box into the top corner.

Thirteen minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead after a long ball by goalkeeper Leandro Chichizola sent Arkadiusz Reca behind the Cittadella defense, but Carissoni’s clearance looped over Luca Maniero and into his own net.

The Granata struggled for majority of the first half, accumulating just 0.13 expected goals (xG) after 45 minutes. Forward Orji Okwonkwo did not have any touches inside the Spezia penalty box as Cittadella failed to attempt a shot on target going into halftime.

“With the Okwonkwo and Luca Pandolfi attacking duo, we know we are dangerous but we need to find a balance,” Dal Canto said. “We took some risks with Okownkwo to get him fit but he ended the game with a few physical problems.”

Cittadella could have pulled within a goal in the 56th minute when substitute Luca Pandolfi scuffed his shot wide after cutting away from two Spezia defenders. The striker had another opportunity through on goal in the 82nd minute but Chichizola stopped the chance.

Spezia outshot the hosts 14-11 throughout the game, calculating an expected goals tally of 2.15 xG compared to Cittadella’s 0.78 xG in the end.

“Spezia only needed one chance to score,” Dal Canto said. “Our chances of scoring were stopped by two gusts of wind they had, in which they converted.”

The Granata returns to action next Saturday against Pisa: another team in the top three of the Serie B standings.

“Pisa is a similar team to Spezia,” Dal Canto said. “We’ll be playing in front of over 10,000 fans and it’s clear they will be the favorites to win. We will go there confidently and continue to recover certain players.”

PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella