Cittadella 0-2 Modena: Poor showing leaves Granata with third straight home loss

It’s been a similar story for Cittadella this season: limited attacking threat and leaking goals defensively. The trend continued in the Granata 0-2 defeat to Modena at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato on Saturday, giving Alessandro Dal Canto’s men their third straight home loss.

Both teams entered the weekend seeking for consistency while rooted in the middle of a tight Serie B table. Cittadella had not beaten Modena at home in 14 years, and were hoping to complete the season double over the Canarini on Saturday afternoon. A 27th minute goal from Giuseppe Caso put the visitors ahead before second half substitute Pedro Mendes sealed the victory four minutes from regulation.

“We played badly, and deserved to lose,” Dal Canto said after the game. “Today we went paradoxically backward with manifesting solidarity. We lost a six-pointer but now is not the time to cry. We need to roll up our sleeves and try again.”

Cittadella missed right midfielder Edoardo Masciangelo due to injury, while Modena were without leading assist and goalscorer Antonio Palumbo in Saturday’s clash. In an opening 30 minutes dominated by the visitors–which saw two goals disallowed for offside–the breakthrough came after Caso dribbled around goalkeeper Luca Maniero and finished for his fourth goal of the season.

The Granata‘s expected goals (xG) illustrated their attacking struggles throughout the game. The first half saw Cittadella calculate 0.53 xG while Modena tallied 1.07 xG. Cittadella forward and leading scorer Luca Pandolfi recorded one touch in the opposition’s penalty box after 45 minutes.

“I saw a pinch of fear in my team,” Dal Canto said. “The mistakes we made today were one’s that are made by someone who has fear to mess up. If we have this fear, we can’t go anywhere.”

Missing an attacking threat in the second half, Cittadella failed to tally a shot on target after halftime despite holding 60% possession. The Granata came closest to equalizing in the 65th minute when Alessandro Salvi’s header hit the woodwork following a corner kick.

Modena sealed the win four minutes from stoppage time as Mendes fired his shot near post moments after being substituted in the game.

“Today the team didn’t have the right flair,” Dal Canto said. “I told the players this and that we have 11 games left. Our attitude must be carefree, if not we worry and can’t concentrate.”

Dal Canto’s men return next Saturday in Castellammare di Stabia where they’ll face playoff-chasing Juve Stabia in the first game of March.

“I was prepared to go back to difficult moments,” Dal Canto said. “We weren’t champions before, I don’t want to think that we’re the same as two months ago. We need a mature environment to get out of this situation, because Cittadella will have to deal with difficulty to survive.”

“We are going to Castellamare di Stabia to battle and to find the group we had before this weekend.”

PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella