Pisa, 29 May 2022 – The dream of promotion in A league of Monza from Silvio Berlusconi e Adriano Galliani has become reality. After the 2-1 of the first leg, Stroppa’s team also won the second leg of the Serie B playoff final by beating Pisa with a 3-4 pyrotechnic after extra time and won the last pass for the top flight, where it climbs for the first time in 110 years of history. “We fought for a long year and we have reached a historic milestone – said Berlusconi -. Monza had never been in Serie A and today they succeeded. It is a wonderful thing for us and for all the citizens of Brianza”. Again the president of the Brianza: “A wonderful thing for a company that after 110 years of history wins the Serie A. A great joy for all the citizens of Monza and Brianza. A land with more than 70,000 entrepreneurs who will have a great heart joy. Being in Serie A we have to win the Scudetto and the Champions Cup. I am used to always winning, let’s see. This year has been full of results that have been good for the heart, both the Scudetto of Milan and the promotion of Monza . Hurray “.
A result gained at the end of a match that was a real rollercoaster of emotions, starting with the lightning start of Pisa who took the lead after just 45 ”with Torregrossa and then doubled with Hermannsson. However, Monza did not pull the plug and, after shortening the distance with Machin, equalized the score with the newly entered Gytkjaer. At 20 ”from 90 ‘, one step away from Serie A, the potential freezing shower for the red and white: Mastinu scored the 3-2 Pisa that brings the match to extra time. At the best, however, the energies of Pisa ran out and Monza placed the definitive overtaking with the goals in the 95 ‘and 101’ of Marrone and Gytkjaer who thus marked the Monza promotion with the personal brace as a substitute.
First half
In the fiery bedlam of the Arena Garibaldi in Pisa, the departure of the Tuscans is textbook: after just 45 “in fact, the Nerazzurri capitalize on a recovery of the ball by Siega e they took the lead with Torregrossa bagging a low cross from Beruatto’s left wing. The hosts take such great courage and on 9 ‘overturn the 2-1 immediately in the first leg raddoppiando con Hermannsson who, on the development of a short corner kick, collects the second assist of the evening of a wild Beruatto and heads – with the help of the pole – bags the 2-0 Pisan. Monza is in shock and struggles to overcome their frontline in the face of fierce Pisan pressure. As the minutes pass, however, the rhythms imposed by the Nerazzurri lower and the red and white try to take advantage of it to shake off the tension, trying to take advantage of the right lane and creating some headaches for Nicholas who at 18 ‘risks getting hurt and suffering in the attempt to block Curria’s insidious free-kick; prelude to the Monza goal that arrives about 2 ‘later, at the peak of an insistent action by the red and white, capitalized by José Machin who with his right, from the center of the area, bags the 2-1 under the crossbar.
Suddenly, the parts of the script are reversed, because Monza regains confidence and in the final half of the time reappears with more conviction in the opposing half of the field, even touching the level on 29 ‘with Marrone’s header that forces Nicholas to make the extraordinary to lift the ball over the crossbar and again with Ciurria in the 37th minute. Pisa still manages to resist and relies on Beruatto and the left-handed band to try to worry the red and white again, but the opportunities are not over because, in full recovery, Motta from an excellent position is unable to bag the ball on a low assist by Ciurria.
The recovery
The second half started at a not frenzied pace and with a great balance on both fronts: Sibilli’s right-footed shot in the 52nd minute and the response, a minute later, from the edge of the area by Augusto who kicks the ball high, but the first real chance of the second half happens on Puscas’ feet in the 61st minute when, on a mistake by Marrone, the Romanian in force at Pisa flies towards the opponent’s goal and from the top of the area hits the Monza crossbar with a powerful right. At 66 ‘the first changes of the match arrive, operated by Pisa who throws Lucca and Mastinu into the fray in place of Torregrossa and Siega. Stroppa’s response is the insertions of Gytkjaer in place of Ciurria to give greater weight to the center of the red and white attack and that of D’Alessandro in place of Mazzitelli. The double move of the Monza coach turns out to be spot on because in the 79th minute the Danish striker repays the trust placed in him and signs the 2-2 goal on a heel assist from Mota. All to be redone, therefore, for Pisa who risks seeing the Serie A dream crumble but does not lose heart, the Masucci card is played and at 20 ”from 90 ‘they find the 3-2 goal thanks to Mastinu who counterbalanced Di Gregorio in the lower right corner bringing the match to extra time.
De Vitis for Puscas is the last change that D’Angelo is played at the dawn of the first extra time, but it is Monza that gets off to a better start and creates potentially very dangerous situations with Colpani first and Motta then. The third attempt is the decisive one e brings the brand of Marrone who, on the development of a corner, is guilty left alone in the center of the area and with a precise splashing on Molino’s cross, he fishes the 3-3 from the cylinder that overturns the situation again and makes the Serie A tip the scales on the side of the red and white who then permanently lock the promotion to the top flight for the second goal of the evening from Gytkjaer who in the 101st minute takes advantage of a sensational mistake in the disengagement of Birindelli and face to face with Nicholas scores the 4-3 red and white. A tremendous blow for the Nerazzurri hosts who in the final 20 ‘are no longer able to subvert the disadvantage and must finally raise the white flag.