Serie C Soccer – Mantua and Virtus Verona, crossed destinies
MANTUA So far, so close. Mantua and Virtus Verona, opposite on Saturday at 17.30 at the Martelli, are the antipodes for history and glory: the more than one hundred year old Acm has frequented the noble areas of Italian football, while the little Virtus has not gone further than Serie C (reached for the first time 9 years ago). But in recent times the two teams have often crossed their fate in a surprising way, as is happening again this year.
The past – From the very first meeting, Virtus (formerly Vecomp) represented a fundamental hub for Mantua: that 3-1 of October 2010 in Serie D, at the “Gavagnin-Nocini”, away to a series of consecutive victories for the neo- re-founded club in Viale Te, which from there began to dominate a shaky championship. But it is in the 2017-18 season, always in re, that Mantua and Virtus really crossed the gloves. And that the Veronese have become a black beast for the red and white. The mocking defeat at the Martelli of the first day and, above all, the incredible one in Verona (two penalties missed by the CMS) irreparably ruined the championship of Mantova, who had to give up the dream of promotion. Virtus rose to C.
The present – Already in the last championship Mantua and Virtus showed great… affinity, closing with the same number of points (49) and detaching the last two tickets available for the playoffs. This year, history is dramatically repeating itself. The current ranking says that Virtus has one more point (39 against 38), but in short, we are there. Again: same number of wins (8), same number of goals scored (30) and conceded (33). Let us add that both are reduced by a success. Last but not least, the common ambivalence between objectives and current position of: Virtus and Mantova both aim for salvation, yet they are closer to the playoffs (the Veronese at the moment must also classify qualifications). It goes without saying that Saturday’s match will very much clarify the ambitions of both.
The bombers of providence – The last link between Mantua and Virtus was tightened around Gaetano Monachello and Gianmarco Zigoni, the two forwards who are making the fortunes of their respective teams with goals. Two players with a surprisingly similar path: a past as authentic football promises, an honest career in Serie B with bets in A, then the descent and the risk of an early stop despite the young age (28 years Monachello, 31 Zigoni). Both out of the squad and never used in the first part of the season (Monachello in Modenza, Zigoni in Venice), in order to return to play they managed to marry in January in two clubs that had salvation in C as their goal. Welcomed with skepticism, they have already made doubters change their minds to the sound of goals. The protagonist is Monachello, who has already reached 9 and will try to hit the double digits on Saturday. But even Zigoni does not get along with men: 3 goals, two of which in the last two matches.
In short, what will be staged in two days at the Martelli will also be a “derbino”, but by no means trivial. For Mantova, only one goal: to win it. To mortgage salvation and overtake Virtus in the standings. Waiting for the next intersection.