Serie B promotion play-offs: Venezia victory in Palermo

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated May 20, 2024 5:52 PM ET

Venezia won the first leg of the Serie B promotion play-off semi-final away to Palermo, giving them the upper hand in this push for the top flight.

The Lagunari finished third in the regular Serie B standings this season, so had the advantage of going straight into the semi-finals and playing the first leg away from home.

Paolo Vanoli’s men made the most of it, emerging with a 1-0 victory from the Stadio Barbera.

It was an even first half with Fabio Lucioni and Filippo Ranocchia just wide, plus Salim Diakite’s effort pushed over the bar by Jesse Joronen.

Just as Palermo were piling on the pressure, Venezia scored instead with nobody closing down Nicholas Pierini on the edge of the box, allowing him to pick his left-foot spot.

The visitors had the ball in the net again in stoppages, but Ali Dembele’s goal was disallowed over Christian Gytkjaer’s offside position.

The second leg is in Venice on Friday May 24, while the other semi-final is between Cremonese and Catanzaro.

Serie B promotion play-off

Semi-final, 1st leg

Palermo 0-1 Venezia

Pierini 62 (V)

20-05-2024 19:30 1/2 Final Stadio Renzo Barbera

Palermo

Venezia 0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Fabio Lucioni

33'

2nd half

62'

Nicholas Pierini (Assist: Joel Pohjanpalo) Salim Diakite 64' 64' Bjarki Bjarkason 64' Jay Idzes 71' Antonio Candela 76' Gianluca Busio 77'

Nunzio Lella

Match statistic

50 Possession % 50 14 Total shots 7 2 Shots on target 3 8 Shots off target 2 4 Blocked shots 2 9 Corners 4 1 Offsides 1 12 Fouls 15 Palermo Venezia

Starting lineups

1 Sebastiano Desplanches Goalkeeper 5

Fabio Lucioni Defender 15 Ivan Marconi Defender 3 Kristoffer Lund Defender 69' 23 Salim Diakite Defender 2 Simon Graves Defender 4

Claudio Gomes Midfielder 74' 14 Filippo Ranocchia Midfielder 90' 8

Jacopo Segre Midfielder 27 Edoardo Soleri Attacker 69' 9 Matteo Luigi Brunori Attacker 1

Jesse Joronen Goalkeeper 27

Antonio Candela Defender 4 Jay Idzes Defender 33 Marin Sverko Defender 83' 30 Michael Svoboda Defender 6

Gianluca Busio Midfielder 38 Magnus Kofod Andersen Midfielder 61' 8

Tanner Tessmann Midfielder 19 Bjarki Bjarkason Attacker 74' 20

Joel Pohjanpalo Attacker 83' 10 Nicholas Pierini Attacker

74'

Substitutes

Leo Stulac Midfielder 53

Liam Henderson Midfielder 7 Leonardo Mancuso Attacker 18

Ionut Nedelcearu Defender 20 Aljosa Vasic Attacker 25 Alessio Buttaro Defender 22 Mirko Pigliacelli Goalkeeper 31 Giuseppe Aurelio Midfielder 10 Francesco Di Mariano Attacker 69' Chaka Traorè Attacker 69' 11

Roberto Insigne Attacker 74' 17

Federico Di Francesco Attacker 90' 18

Mato Jajalo Midfielder 31

Maximilian Ullmann Defender 13 Marco Modolo Defender 12 Bruno Bertinato Goalkeeper 23 Matteo Grandi Goalkeeper 21

Denis Cheryshev Midfielder 24

Nunzio Lella Defender 61' 7

Francesco Zampano Defender 74' 99

Marco Olivieri Attacker 74' 9

Christian Gytkjaer Attacker 83' 25

Ali Dembélé Defender

83'

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.