Fabio Gallo praised his squad’s resilience after the team fought back from two separate deficits on opening day.
Early Exchanges and Catanzaro’s Opening Goal
The visitors tested Vicenza immediately when Pietro Iemmello forced a save from goalkeeper Marco Gagno within the first minute of play, as detailed by Trivenetogoal. Vicenza responded in the 9th minute with an attacking surge that forced a corner, sending a dangerous ball flashing across the goalline defended by Mirko Pigliacelli. Despite organized build-up play orchestrated by mid-field anchor Fabrizio Carraro, Catanzaro broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. Jacopo D’Alessandro curled a precise shot past Gagno to give the Calabrian side a 1-0 lead.
Vicenza attempted an immediate response. Just a minute later, defender Tommaso Caferri unleashed a long-range strike from 25 meters that Pigliacelli managed to parry. In the 22nd minute, the hosts squandered a numerical advantage on a counterattack when Tommaso Alessio miscued a pass intended for Ettore Moncini, allowing the Catanzaro defense to clear the danger.
First-Half Equalizer at the Menti
As the half progressed, Vicenza sustained pressure while Catanzaro attempted to control their narrow lead. In the 33rd minute, Filippo Costa drove down the left flank and delivered a cross that earned another corner kick. Following the resulting set piece, Nicolas Leverbe crossed for Moncini, whose header was collected comfortably by Pigliacelli.
The home side’s persistence paid off in the 39th minute. Costa delivered an outswinging corner that central defender Giuseppe Cuomo met with a powerful header, leveling the score at 1-1. Right before halftime, Moncini nearly put Vicenza ahead with an acrobatic overhead kick that missed the target, sending both teams into the break on level terms.
A Pirotecnica Second Half and Trading Goals
The second half brought heightened intensity. In the 51st minute, Mattia Mosti tested Gagno with a shot that the Vicenza goalkeeper pushed wide for a corner. From the resulting set piece taken by Tommaso Antonini, the Vicenza defense failed to clear, allowing Gennaro Verreggia to bundle the ball home and restore Catanzaro’s advantage at 2-1, according to match accounts.
Vicenza refused to fold. In the 58th minute, substitute Federico Pellizzari rattled the post with a fierce shot following an assist from Moncini. Coach Gallo injected fresh legs into the lineup around the hour mark, introducing Alessandro Zonta and Jacopo Pietrelli for Carraro and Caferri, followed by Mattia Rauti replacing Alessio.
Late Heroics Deliver Opening Day Win
With Catanzaro retreating into a deeper defensive block, Vicenza dominated territory in the closing stages. In the 75th minute, Luca Morra and Corazza entered the fray, replacing Moncini and Costa. The pressure culminated in the 77th minute when another corner kick, this time delivered by Corazza, fell to Pietrelli, who reacted quickest to poke home the equalizer for 2-2.
Buoyed by the home crowd at the Menti, the Biancorossi pushed for a winner rather than settling for a point. In the 89th minute, Luca Morra found the decisive breakthrough, converting a late chance to seal a 3-2 comeback victory. Catanzaro pressed forward in stoppage time, but Gallo’s side held firm to secure three points to start the Serie B campaign.
Coach Reaction and Standings Context
Following the final whistle, Fabio Gallo expressed immense satisfaction with his players’ mental toughness. According to Il Giornale di Vicenza, Gallo stated that the victory was fully deserved and remarked that his squad displayed tremendous character and grit on the pitch.
The result gives Vicenza an ideal start in the Serie BKT league table following their promotion.
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