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
      • 8Y
      • 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.
        • 8Y
        • PA Sport

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        2023-24 Italian Serie B Standings

        TeamGPWDLGDP
        Parma3721124+3175
        Como372197+1872
        Venezia372179+2470
        Cremonese3718109+1564
        Catanzaro3717911+1160
        Palermo37141112+853
        Sampdoria3715913+152
        Brescia37121510+651
        Suditrol37121114-147
        Cosenza37111313+546
        Cittadella37111313-446
        Pisa37111313-246
        Reggiana37101611-746
        Modena3791711-744
        Spezia3781712-1441
        Ternana37101017-840
        Bari3771713-1338
        Ascoli3781415-538
        FeralpiSalo378920-2033
        Lecco376823-3826