Defensive error proves costly for Cittadella in Catanzaro defeat

One defensive mistake was all Serie B top scorer Pietro Iemmello needed to net his 13th goal of the season. A miscommunication between Cittadella goalkeeper Luca Maniero and defender Emmanuele Matino in the second half allowed the Catanzaro captain to finish into an empty net.

Catanzaro held onto the lead and defeated Cittadella on Friday night, 1-0, to give the Granata their 12th loss of the season.

“We played a good game based on our characteristics,” Cittadella head coach Alessandro Dal Canto said in his postgame interview. “In the end, we lost because of a miscommunication. Unfortunately, it can happen in football.”

Both teams started slow in the first half with one shot on target between the two teams. The second half, however, came to life early after Luca Pandolfi looked to fire Cittadella in the lead, but Mirko Pigliacelli made an easy save in the 47th minute.

The Granata had two more opportunities within 15 minutes after halftime. Orji Okwonkwo and Pandolfi both had chances inside the box, but both times they fired their shots wide of the frame.

“We knew getting points here would be a bit of a feat, but given how the match went, we could have brought home a draw,” Dal Canto said. “If we lose our nature, we make a mistake.”

The game-winner came in the 65th minute as Iemmello punished a miscommunication between Maniero and Matino following a through ball, allowing the striker to score into an empty net. Iemmello has now scored eight goals against Cittadella in his career.

Dal Canto’s men only managed one shot on target from five as the Giallorossi held on for the victory, remaining in fifth place on 39 points. Cittadella stays in 11th for the night and three points above the relegation play-out zone.

“It was not a tedious game,” Dal Canto said. “Now we have to roll up our sleeves and start again.”

PHOTO: A.S. Cittadella Facebook