Cittadella seeking to avoid relegation blow in Salernitana six-pointer

A third straight relegation six-pointer awaits for Cittadella as the Granata host 18th-placed Salernitana on Easter Monday at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato.

Two points separate the two sides entering Matchday 34, with the Campanians looking to leapfrog Cittadella into the relegation play-out zone as five games remain in the regular season.

“It’s an important game,” Cittadella head coach Alessandro Dal Canto said in his prematch press conference. “The points are very short and all the teams are close together. Each game becomes thinner afterward. It’s clear we have to try and make a positive result, and not think of a negative moment, otherwise we make a mess.”

Monday afternoon will be the battle of the worst home team against the worst road team in Serie B. Cittadella has collected just 12 points at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato this season, recording a 2-6-8 home record since August. Salernitana, meanwhile, has gone without a road win since early October, gaining four points away from the Stadio Arechi in the last 12 road games.

Three of Cittadella’s final five games will be played at the Tombolato, which includes two six-pointers against Salernitana and Brescia. Both of those teams are currently within two points of each other.

“There’s no more calculations, we need to try and take home the points,” Dal Canto said on Cittadella’s home struggles. “The types of games we will play are all direct clashes, so if we don’t get the best of them, our [survival] chances are diminished.

“We can’t make mistakes, our players have a great sense of responsibility,” he said. “I care that they arrive well from an emotional standpoint.”

Following months of difficulties, Salernitana is breathing new life under newly appointed head coach Pasquale Marino. He earned his first win in his first match last weekend during a 2-1 home victory against Sudtirol.

The Campanians defeated Citta in the first match of the regular season, in which two stoppage time goals sealed three points for the recently relegated side. But despite the early victory, Salernitana has endured a difficult season, spending most of the campaign inside the relegation zones. The last time the club from Salerno won two consecutive league games came two seasons ago, defeating Spezia and Lazio during the 2022/23 Serie A season.

“[Salernitana] will play their game with their qualities, and we will play ours for what we are,” Dal Canto said. “In my opinion, we have two different attitudes and we’ll see which one comes out.”

Cittadella with no home wins in 2025, while Salernitana with no road wins in six months. Either fact could change on Easter Monday in a potential play-out preview, where Dal Canto believes two factors will determine the outcome of the relegation race.

“Strong nerves and quality,” he said. “The closer we get to the end, the more the games are decided by episodes.

“We have to go in thinking about ourselves, determined to bring home what is needed.”

MATCH: Cittadella vs Salernitana – Serie BKT Matchday 34

DATE: April 21, 2025 – 15:00 CET (9:00 EST)

VENUE: Stadio Piercesare Tombolato – Cittadella

TOP PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella