
Serie A welcomed its usual three promoted sides this term. Among them were yo-yo club Hellas Verona and second-tier stalwarts Benevento. But joining those sides in the top-flight, following successive promotions were the unlikely lads – SPAL 2013.
While their fellow promoted sides now occupy the bottom two spots – with first-timers Benevento all-but-relegated – the surprise package of SPAL are on course for survival.
They’re bidding to achieve that feat with a team of budget acquisitions and loanees, managed by a relative unknown and with the smallest ground in the league. The Coral News Team investigate just how they’re pulling it off…
While the hardworking squad that won Serie B last term deserve plenty of credit, they were never going to stand a chance of survival in the top-tier. But manager Leonardo Semplici has now built a side on course to do just that.
The changes to personnel have been huge. Including a slew of loan deals ranging from short-term cover to season-long deals, more than 20 players have come through the doors as Stadio Paolo Mazza since last summer.
Many of those arrivals have been a success, and all have arrived for a fee under £2m – quite an achievement in today’s big-money game.
Amongst them have been top-scorer and captain Mirco Antenucci (signed on a free from Leeds United), midfield enforcer Everton Luiz (bought from Partizan Belgrade for £630k) and Poland international Bartosz Salamon at centre-back.
While the likes of Benevento have chopped and changed tactically to little avail, Semplici hasn’t tinkered with his side’s 3-5-2 set-up, and it’s now working wonders.
It isn’t always pretty, but his midfield five are extremely well-balanced. In the centre of the park, loanee duo Jasmin Kurtic and Federico Viviani are combative, tough-tackling ball-winners.
Meanwhile on the flanks, the likes of Manuel Lazzari have produced goals and creativity. Add in a wily and experienced back three, and they’re proving extremely hard to break down.
Now unbeaten in seven games, they became the first side to shut-out Juventus on their travels in Serie A since October 2016.
With six games remaining, SPAL sit a point above the drop zone. However, their situation is less precarious than it might initially appear.
For starters, there are a handful of sides in touching distance above them. Cagliari in 14th place sit just three points above Semplici’s 17th-placed Biancazzurri side.
Meanwhile, one relegation spot has already been all-but ruled out, with Benevento’s immediate relegation seemingly just a matter of time. And SPAL’s run-in looks generous.
They face three of the bottom six before the season ends, including a home meeting with Benevento. Tonight’s opponents are Chievo Verona, who travel to the Stadio Paolo Mazza on the back of nine successive away defeats.
It’s 5/4 for a SPAL victory, while key hitman Antenucci is 6/4 to score anytime. As for a SPAL win with a clean sheet, that’s priced up at odds of 23/10.
That clash with Chievo is just one of the nine Serie A fixtures taking place tonight.
Elsewhere, Juventus are 3/10 to continue their winning run away to lowly Crotone. Meanwhile, high-scoring Lazio head to in-form Fiorentina, and the odds make it 2/1 for Over 3.5 Goals.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing