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Serie B: how Ashley Cole’s debut for Cesena went – a 3-0 defeat in Mantua

Serie B takes to the pitch for the midweek fixtures of matchday 31, with the Catanzaro v Modena match postponed until a later date due to a severe weather warning in Calabria.

Palermo drew 2-2 at home against Juve Stabia: after penalties from Leone and Pohjanpalo, there was another back-and-forth exchange between Bani and Mosti. 

Filippo Inzaghi’s Rosanero side remain fourth in the table on 58 points, six points behind second-placed Monza, who drew 0-0 away at Reggiana, and nine points behind leaders Venezia, who beat Padova 3-1 with goals from Svoboda, Doumbia and Perez. 

Thanks to a penalty from Saporiti in the 96th minute, Empoli snatched a draw away at Spezia, who had taken the lead through Artistico in the 69th minute.

  • Cole's debut with Cesena

    Ashley Cole’s spell in charge of Cesena has got off to a difficult start. Having taken over from manager Michele Mignani (sacked following a 2-2 home draw with Frosinone), the English manager made his debut away at Mantova, who took the lead in the 6th minute thanks to an own goal by Zaro.

    In the second half, three Cesena players (Guidi, Ciofi and Piacentini) were booked, and Mantova doubled their lead through Meroni in the 58th minute. 

    Cole tried to get his side back into the game with five substitutions: Cerri for Vrioni in the 60th minute, Bastoni and Olivieri for Ciervo and Corazza in the 63rd minute, and Amoran and Bisoli for Piacentini and Francesconi in the 75th minute. 

    But in the third minute of stoppage time, Mancuso sealed the deal with a 3-0 win for Mantova, who climb to 34 points in the table, whilst Cesena remain on 40 points in the play-off zone in eighth place.

    Cesena line-up (4-2-3-1): Klinsmann; Ciofi, Zaro, Piacentini (75' Amoran), Guidi; Francesconi (75' Bisoli), Corazza (63' Olivieri); Ciervo (63' Bastoni), Berti, Shpendi; Vrioni (60' Cerri). (Subs: Siano, Ferretti, Abbondanza, Arrigoni, Domeniconi, Kebbeh). Manager: Cole.

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  • THE RESULTS

    Palermo v Juve Stabia 2–2

    Mantova 3-0 Cesena

    Reggiana v Monza 0-0 

    Spezia v Empoli 1-1 

    Venezia v Padova 3-1 

  • WEDNESDAY

    7 pm

    Frosinone v Bari

    8 pm

    Avellino v Sudtirol

    Carrarese v Sampdoria

    Pescara v Entella

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  • THE TABLE

    Venice 67

    Monza 64

    Frosinone 59

    Palermo 58

    Catanzaro 52

    Modena 47

    Juve Stabia 42

    Cesena 40

    South Tyrol 38

    Avellino 36

    Padua 34

    Mantua 34

    Empoli 33

    Carrarese 33

    Sampdoria 31

    Entella 31

    Bari 31

    Spezia 30

    Reggiana 30

    Pescara 26

    The top two teams in the table are promoted directly to Serie A.

    The remaining promotion spot is decided in play-offs between the teams in 3rd to 8th place, but the points gap between 3rd and 4th place must not exceed 14 points.

    The bottom three teams in the table are automatically relegated to Serie C.

    The other relegation spot is decided in a play-out between the fourth-bottom and fifth-bottom teams if the points gap does not exceed 4 points.

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