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With only nine matches remaining in the season, the battle to avoid relegation to Italy's third division is getting awfully serious in Serie B. The roll call of clubs teetering on the brink is pretty astonishing and includes recent Serie A competitors Venezia, Benevento, SPAL and Brescia.
Heading into Sunday, Cosenza sat dead last in 20th-place but hosted SPAL in a classic relegation six-pointer at Marulla Stadium. Cosenza desperately needed three points ahead of next weekend's trip to league leading Frosinone.
Marco Brescianini gave Cosenza the lead in the 65th minute, and the home team weathered the visitor's 61% possession to record a 1-0 victory that lifted them into 18th while condemning SPAL to 19th.
After all the tension, anguish and anxiety, Cosenza manager William Viali clearly felt the ultimate rush of dopamine when the final whistle sounded. The 48-year-old — a former defender who made over 100 appearances for Lecce — nearly broke his own spine while attempting a bicycle kick after his side saw off a couple late SPAL corners deep in stoppage time.
Scenes.
La rovesciata di Viali miglior gesto tecnico della partita #cosenzaspal#godicchio pic.twitter.com/svzNN1xTYi
— bruterror (@bru_terror) March 12, 2023
Venezia and Brescia drew 1-1 on Saturday. 21-year-old American midfielder Tanner Tessmann played the full 90.
It's tight at the bottom of Serie B.
