Crucial points at stake in the next five months for Serie A ambitions

The second half of the 2021/22 Serie B season kickoffs Sunday for Cittadella. Now the fun really starts, where it’s now five months of battle.

In traditional Serie B style, the league has not disappointed with drama and tight standings as we enter the middle of winter. Don’t expect that to change much as we move along into Spring, where over the next few months will really determine who is real Serie A material.

For all clubs, the halfway point in the season is a great point to assess the team halfway though the campaign. Cittadella, having lost many key aspects last summer, as managed the storm pretty well under Edoardo Gorini. The Granata currently sit in 8th–the last playoff spot–with 29 points as they enter the derby this weekend against Vicenza.

But now the test really starts to get serious. Last season saw Cittadella lose steam entering 2021, just winning 5 of their last 19 games. Despite all that, they managed to ease into the playoffs where we saw a magical run cut short by the winners Venezia.

Fast forward to today, and it looks like Cittadella can’t do the same as the prior year. Positioned much further down the table, more than five wins are essential. Above all, it’s important to keep up with the chasing pack all fighting for playoffs and promotion.

From here until May, every weekend will be an opportunity to gain ground on the table. Every point is significant, as it may separate a playoff position by one point. As we saw last year, playing at home in the second leg is a huge advantage, given the odd league rule regarding no extra time and positioning.

If Cittadella really want to make the Serie A dream a reality, something they’ve been striving for for years, it’s once again coming down to a couple months of grinding results.

Their path starts Sunday afternoon. A Veneto derby with last place Vicenza sees a golden opportunity to grab all three points, and potentially gaining ground on the table.

Due to the canceled game last Saturday, the match against Cosenza is now set to be played during the international break. At home, the Granata welcome Cosenza in a makeup match on January 30th; once again a great chance to earn points.

The following weekend is away to Crotone: one of the furthest away trips of the year. Three straight matches playing teams who are in the bottom four of Serie B. You got to imagine that these next games are must win for Gorini’s men.

It’s going to be a rocky ride in the next few months. Cittadella’s ambitions will be determined on the outcome of the return set of fixtures, as the promotion race in Serie B starts to heat up.