Frosinone Vs Spezia
Frosinone Vs Spezia Sunday 16 August 2020 – 20:15 Kick-Off
Italian Serie B Promotion Play-Off
Pick: Spezia Double Chance
Odds: 13/20
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 14 August 2020)
Preview: The first leg of the 2019-20 Serie B promotion play-off gets underway this Sunday at the Stadio Beniti Stirpe, where hosts Frosinone will hope to establish an advantage over Spezia ahead of the return leg on Thursday.
Italian Serie B Betting at 22Bet
Table of Contents
Frosinone Preview – Nesta’s charges seeking the upper hand at home?
A collective sigh of relief once the regular season drew to a close, because had it gone on much longer there seemed little doubt as to which way Frosinone were heading. Eight points from their final twelve league fixtures, a disastrous period in which, ironically, a 2-1 scoreline at home to Spezia on 3 July represented their sole victory since the end of February, left them clinging on to the final play-off berth.
Spezia, who would have prevailed 3-2 on aggregate when combining these teams head-to-head results this season, will feel they have the edge especially after finishing the season the stronger in third. Particularly if they could secure a favourable outcome in this opening leg. That is because Frosinone were largely indifferent on their travels, reliant on performances at the Stadio Benito Stirpe to keep them ticking over.
I Canarini (The Canaries) recorded ten of fourteen victories in Serie B in 2019-20 on home soil, where their points-per-game average (1.87) was nearly double that compared to when playing away (1). Not that this has had much bearing on their performance in these play-offs thus far; after losing the first-leg of their semi-final 1-0 to Pordenone, Alessandro Nesta saw his team seal progress with a 2-0 victory away.
Spezia Preview – Little Eagles in a good place to end play-off hoodoo?
Denied promotion via the play-offs in five of the past six seasons, will Spezia finally be rewarded for their perseverance? A favourable match-up certainly helps their cause, having finished five places and seven points better off than Frosinone in a season whereby Spezia finished by far and away the stronger of the two sides, seeing it out with three wins and just one defeat from their final six fixtures.
Since the resumption in mid-June, Spezia could boast a strike rate of 50% across the closing ten matches (W5 D2 L3) – comparing rather favourably to the 10% Frosinone garnered (W1 D4 L5) from as many games over the same period. And yet this momentum seemingly counted for nothing when, at the end of the first-leg of their semi-final with Chievo, the Aquilotti (Little Eagles) trailed 2-0 on aggregate.
A stunning turnaround ensued on home territory, storming into a 3-0 lead before a late Chievo goal, deep into stoppage-time, led to some confusion with the scores locked at 3-3. In the eventuality that the aggregate score is level after both legs, the team which finished higher at the end of the season progress. That not only spared Spezia, it empowers them, in the knowledge they will be promoted should this tie end level.
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Frosinone Vs Spezia Betting Advice
It is worth reiterating that as the higher seed in this final, a draw over the two legs would suit Spezia who would be promoted as a consequence. That means greater onus on Frosinone to win at least one of their match-ups, particularly in this home leg of the tie as their record throughout 2019-20 leaned heavily on results garnered at home – recording more than twice as many wins on their own patch.
Frosinone Vs Spezia – Key Facts
- After losing the home leg of their play-off semi-final 1-0 to Pordenone, Frosinone have now managed one win in their previous seven home games (W1 D2 L4).
- Chievo inflicted a first away defeat on Spezia in four said matches when winning the semi-final first-leg 2-0. However, only four teams bettered Spezia’s record on the road (W7 D6 L6) in Serie B this season.
- Both encounters in the league this season went the way of the home side, with Frosinone now nine unbeaten (W5 D4) on home soil versus Spezia in all competitions.
Even though Frosinone typically do well when hosting Spezia, who are nine without a win (D4) as the visitors in this fixture, it was Alessandro Nesta’s side who appeared to run out of steam towards the end of the season. No win across the final six matches (D3 L3) compares unfavourably to the three (W3 D2 L1) accrued by Spezia over the same period. Moreover, the latter boast one loss in four away, whereas the hosts have one win in their last seven when at home.
Best Betting Odds – Frosinone Vs Spezia
Frosinone – 13/10 (BetVictor)
Draw – 21/10 (Betway)
Spezia – 13/5 (Bet365)
