Serie B preview: Can Cittadella edge out victory against Benevento?

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Competition: Italy Serie B
Competition: Sat 06.May
Match begins: 12:00 (UTC)
Venue: Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato (7623 seats)

The season has been a struggle for Cittadella so far, and the same description fits Benevento. These hardened teams hope for some vital points here.

Insights:
  • Benevento have the fewest scored goals in the second half (13) in Serie B

Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.

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Cittadella form and stats

The story so far in the Serie B for Cittadella at their home stadium (Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato) is 4 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats. With Cittadella having lost three times in a row here, the pressure is increasing on the manager Gorini.

Cittadella shared the glory with Bari 1908 in their last match, an away game that ended all square 1-1. The hometeam coach Gorini made a successful contribution in the game against Bari 1908, bringing on Maistrello who scored the equalizer in the 1-1 draw. Defender Pavan got the top score of the team in the match with a rating of 7.64/10. Pavan hit one key pass and won 8 of 11 duels.

Before that game, the home loss against Genoa with the scoreline 0-1.

The hosts are modest favourites in this match, with the bookmakers estimating the chance of a home win at about 50% +- five percent. It's interesting to look at how Cittadella have performed under similar circumstances, so here are some numbers: When modest favourites like this (we found 12 games) they have won 6 times, drawn 4 and lost 2.

Sports betting people who like looking for low-scoring games might be interested to know that this team have played 5 league rounds in a row with two goals or less (under 2.5).

Cittadella have scored {16 league goals} here from 17 matches, not a lot. It's been trouble in front of goal recently, as only 0 of these goals has been scored in their last three home matches. 21 goals have been conceded. Cittadella has at home met teams with this table position (low), five times. It has ended with less than 2.5 goals 5 of 5 times.

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Benevento form and stats

The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Benevento so far with only 17 points returning home. The records show 3-8-6 (win-draw-lose). With three draws in a row for Benevento the feeling in the team is perhaps one of both relief and disappointment.

Benevento's last game was the home draw against Parma (2-2). Benevento's last match (vs Parma) ended in drama as all points looked lost at the score 0-2. They did not give up, fought back and in the end a courageous finish rescued a draw after 90 minutes thanks to a 86th minute equalizer by Acampora. Schiattarella got a match rating of 7.84 in that game, top player of the team. Schiattarella served one assist, hit two key passes and had 35 successful passes (of 43 total).

Ahead of that match was the away draw versus Palermo that ended 1-1.

Benevento are the outsiders in this one, but not by much. Their performance in similar games (being the away team and moderate outsiders) is 0 wins, 6 draws and 8 defeats. From a total of 14 matches.

Few goals the story here? 16 of this club's latest 21 league rounds have contained two or less goals.

The attacking power of Benevento when travelling is not overwhelming with 14 goals scored from 17 league matches away. It's been trouble in front of goal recently, as only 1 of these goals has been scored in their last three away matches. As opposed to that, Benevento have seen the ball go into their own net 18 times on the road.

Head 2 Head

The 5 most recent games involving these sides have all ended as Benevento wins. Another one?

Here's what happened when the contenders played each other earlier this campaign; Benevento - Cittadella 1-0.

Top Goalscorers

CittadellaM. Antonucci
M. Antonucci
10 goals
CittadellaG. Crociata
G. Crociata
6 goals
BeneventoA. Tello Muñoz
A. Tello Muñoz
5 goals

Cittadella missing players

Benevento missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Cittadella Benevento
Total Home vs low Statistics Stat vs low Away Total
35 17 5 Played P 4 17 35
8 4 0 Won W 1 3 6
14 7 3 Drew D 2 8 14
13 6 2 Lost L 1 6 15
30 16 1 Scored S 5 14 28
43 21 5 Conceded C 5 18 42
80% 76% 60% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 88% 89%
66% 59% 60% Over 1.5 O 1.5 75% 65% 66%
34% 29% 0% Over 2.5 O 2.5 50% 24% 29%
11% 18% 0% Over 3.5 O 3.5 25% 12% 14%
9% 18% 0% Over 4.5 O 4.5 0% 0% 3%
40% 29% 20% BTTS BTTS 75% 47% 49%
31% 35% 40% Clean Sheets C S 0% 24% 23%
49% 59% 80% Failed to Score F T 25% 41% 40%
 
4.5 4.6 5.4 Corners for (avg) C F 6 4.6 5.3
4.3 3.4 3.4 Corners against (avg) C A 4.8 5.3 4.6
3.4 3.6 3.6 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 3.5 3.5 3.3
9 6 2 Red cards R C 0 5 8
 
12.7 14.2 15 Shots (avg) S ( 15 10.8 11.7
3.8 4 4.2 Shots on Target (avg) S O 5.5 3.2 3.1
23% 24% 5% Goal Efficiency G E 23% 25% 25%
 
10.3 9.8 7.6 Shots against (avg) S A 10.2 12.4 12.6
3.8 3.4 3 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 4 4.7 4.6
Key stats in Serie B this season:
  • Benevento have the fewest scored goals in the second half (13) in Serie B

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Frosinone 35 21 8 6 54 21 18 13 3 2 32 9 17 8 5 4 22 12 33 71
2 Genoa 35 19 11 5 45 21 17 10 6 1 23 6 18 9 5 4 22 15 24 67
3 Bari 1908 35 16 13 6 53 32 18 6 9 3 29 19 17 10 4 3 24 13 21 61
4 Südtirol 35 13 15 7 35 31 18 6 9 3 20 17 17 7 6 4 15 14 4 54
5 Parma 35 14 10 11 43 38 17 9 2 6 22 15 18 5 8 5 21 23 5 52
6 Cagliari 35 12 15 8 42 33 18 10 6 2 26 16 17 2 9 6 16 17 9 51
7 Pisa 35 11 13 11 45 36 17 7 5 5 25 16 18 4 8 6 20 20 9 46
8 Reggina 35 15 4 16 46 43 17 8 2 7 25 21 18 7 2 9 21 22 3 46
9 Ascoli 35 12 10 13 38 43 18 6 5 7 19 21 17 6 5 6 19 22 -5 46
10 Venezia 35 12 9 14 46 45 18 6 5 7 26 25 17 6 4 7 20 20 1 45
11 Palermo 35 10 15 10 43 44 17 7 7 3 21 14 18 3 8 7 22 30 -1 45
12 Modena 35 12 8 15 43 49 17 6 7 4 23 16 18 6 1 11 20 33 -6 44
13 Como 35 9 16 10 43 45 18 7 7 4 25 19 17 2 9 6 18 26 -2 43
14 Ternana 35 11 10 14 34 45 17 8 5 4 19 17 18 3 5 10 15 28 -11 43
15 Cittadella 35 8 14 13 30 43 17 4 7 6 16 21 18 4 7 7 14 22 -13 38
16 Brescia 35 9 11 15 33 52 18 6 5 7 16 21 17 3 6 8 17 31 -19 38
17 Cosenza 35 9 11 15 28 50 17 7 6 4 19 16 18 2 5 11 9 34 -22 38
18 Perugia 35 9 9 17 35 42 17 5 6 6 19 19 18 4 3 11 16 23 -7 36
19 SPAL 35 7 14 14 38 47 18 4 7 7 25 26 17 3 7 7 13 21 -9 35
20 Benevento 35 6 14 15 28 42 18 3 6 9 14 24 17 3 8 6 14 18 -14 32

Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Frosinone 35 21 8 6 54 21 18 13 3 2 32 9 17 8 5 4 22 12 33 71
2 Genoa 35 19 11 5 45 21 17 10 6 1 23 6 18 9 5 4 22 15 24 67
3 Bari 1908 35 16 13 6 53 32 18 6 9 3 29 19 17 10 4 3 24 13 21 61
4 Südtirol 35 13 15 7 35 31 18 6 9 3 20 17 17 7 6 4 15 14 4 54
5 Parma 35 14 10 11 43 38 17 9 2 6 22 15 18 5 8 5 21 23 5 52
6 Cagliari 35 12 15 8 42 33 18 10 6 2 26 16 17 2 9 6 16 17 9 51
7 Pisa 35 11 13 11 45 36 17 7 5 5 25 16 18 4 8 6 20 20 9 46
8 Reggina 35 15 4 16 46 43 17 8 2 7 25 21 18 7 2 9 21 22 3 46
9 Ascoli 35 12 10 13 38 43 18 6 5 7 19 21 17 6 5 6 19 22 -5 46
10 Venezia 35 12 9 14 46 45 18 6 5 7 26 25 17 6 4 7 20 20 1 45
11 Palermo 35 10 15 10 43 44 17 7 7 3 21 14 18 3 8 7 22 30 -1 45
12 Modena 35 12 8 15 43 49 17 6 7 4 23 16 18 6 1 11 20 33 -6 44
13 Como 35 9 16 10 43 45 18 7 7 4 25 19 17 2 9 6 18 26 -2 43
14 Ternana 35 11 10 14 34 45 17 8 5 4 19 17 18 3 5 10 15 28 -11 43
15 Cittadella 35 8 14 13 30 43 17 4 7 6 16 21 18 4 7 7 14 22 -13 38
16 Brescia 35 9 11 15 33 52 18 6 5 7 16 21 17 3 6 8 17 31 -19 38
17 Cosenza 35 9 11 15 28 50 17 7 6 4 19 16 18 2 5 11 9 34 -22 38
18 Perugia 35 9 9 17 35 42 17 5 6 6 19 19 18 4 3 11 16 23 -7 36
19 SPAL 35 7 14 14 38 47 18 4 7 7 25 26 17 3 7 7 13 21 -9 35
20 Benevento 35 6 14 15 28 42 18 3 6 9 14 24 17 3 8 6 14 18 -14 32

More from Italy - Serie B

Read more about Serie B

Serie B is the second highest division in Italian football. It usually has 22 teams playing two fixtures against each other. The two top teams of the league table are automatically promoted, with a third following depending on standings and/or a playoff. Matches are usually played on Saturdays.