Carpi

      Udinese 1-2 Carpi

      Simone Verdi ensured Carpi had to be dragged back into Serie B kicking and screaming as his first-half brace clinched a 2-1 victory at Udinese. On a night when the Bianconeri bid farewell to their 38-year-old striker Antonio Di Natale, who would manage to score one last goal for the club from the penalty spot, Carpi striker Verdi did all he could to keep the second-tier champions in the top flight. He slotted an early penalty and, after Udinese's Cyril Thereau was dismissed, danced his way into a position to propel the Biancorossi two goals clear. Unfortunately for the club from a small industrial town in Emilia-Romagna, 17th-placed Palermo got the win they needed to stay up, thus condemning Carpi. After surviving an early scare when Bruno Fernandes went close, a Carpi raid in the 35th minute saw Felipe foul Kevin Lasagna to concede a penalty. Verdi was composed as he converted - Thereau was not, however, and saw red for aggressively protesting the awarding of the spot-kick. Udinese suffered a further blow when Carpi doubled their advantage thanks to a piece of individual magic from on-loan AC Milan forward Verdi. Receiving the ball on the edge of the area, he raced to the by-line before switching feet to baffle goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and leave an easy finish. Carpi found chances harder to come by following the break, with Verdi missing a shot at the hat-trick after bursting into the box from the left. The home fans had spent most of the match chanting Di Natale's name - after 12 years of service the veteran striker will leave Friuli in the summer - and in the 78th minute they got their wish. Then, barely 60 seconds after his introduction, Udinese won a penalty. The obvious candidate to take it stepped up, fatefully scoring his 227th goal for the Bianconeri with a cool strike straight down the middle. ends
      • 9Y
      • PA Sport

        Jerry Mbakogu misery sums up awful day for Carpi

        Jerry Mbakogu missed two penalties as Carpi slipped into the Serie A drop zone after losing 3-1 to nine-man Lazio in the penultimate game of the season.Had the Nigerian converted both first-half spot-kicks, last year's Serie B champions could have resisted an ill-disciplined Lazio side and held on to 17th place.But Milan Bisevac, Antonio Candreva and Miroslav Klose scythed through a disheartened home defence to render the late expulsions of Lucas Biglia and Filip Djordjevic - and a late strike from the unfortunate Mbakogu - redundant at the Stadio Alberto Braglia. With Palermo and Frosinone just below them in the final relegation places, Carpi went into Sunday's game in the driving seat in the battle to beat relegation.They were handed an early boost when Wesley Hoedt fouled Mbakogu to concede a 12th-minute penalty, but the latter was denied by Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.Lazio exploited Carpi's disappointment by scoring two goals inside nine minutes. Bisevac converted Marco Parolo's spilled shot in the 23rd minute and it was not long before Candreva combined with Felipe Anderson and Klose to double the Romans' lead.Five minutes before the break, Mbakogu was given a chance to redeem himself from the spot when Mauricio handled the ball. Again, Marchetti was too good.Carpi's bad day took a turn for the worse in the 73rd minute when German veteran Klose boosted Lazio out of sight with an easy finish from close range.The late dismissal of Biglia for a foul on Simone Verdi offered the Biancorossi a glimmer of hope and moments later Mbakogu had his goal.With six minutes left, the man from Lagos controlled Verdi's cross and turned the ball home.Substitute Djordjevic lost his head and his place on the field on the stroke of full-time - the Serbian cut Gaetano Letizia down - but his departure came too late for Carpi, who were leapfrogged by Palermo.Fabrizio Castori's men must beat Udinese next weekend to stand any chance of surviving.
        • 9Y
        • PA Sport

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        2024-25 Italian Serie B Ladder

        TeamGPWDLGDP
        Sassuolo181341+2543
        Spezia181071+1837
        Pisa181143+1537
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        Cesena17746+325
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        Bari18594+324
        Catanzaro184113+323
        Modena18585+123
        Carrarese18657-423
        Mantova18576-222
        Palermo18567+121
        Brescia18567-321
        Sampdoria17467-618
        Reggiana18468-518
        Salernitana18468-718
        Suditrol185211-1317
        Cittadella18459-1717
        Cosenza18486-316
        Frosinone18378-1216

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        Italian Serie B