Juve Stabia shouldn't have lost in Vicenza, and they didn't. Yet, at the final whistle, Pietro De Giorgio's men were left looking back at the 1-1 draw with a mixture of satisfaction and regret. On a traditionally tricky pitch like Vicenza's, the Wasps showed character and organization, but the result was narrowly theirs.
Once again, the difference was made by the saves of the red and white goalkeeper Gagno, who made some decisive saves when the match seemed to be slipping towards a favorable outcome for the visitors.
Gagno wall, Boer in trouble: the two faces of goalkeepers
While Gagno was the protagonist of at least a couple of key saves, Boer was forced to respond to a hesitant exit and a less than adequate response. On Vicenza's first goal, Corazza's low shot found the Wasps' goalkeeper unresponsive, unable to stop a precise and powerful shot. Di Nardo's penalty, however, was unimpressed: the striker from Castellammare di Stabia wrong-footed Gagno with a cool, precise kick, bringing the score to 1-1.
However, Boer remains a shadow: his uncertainties in a couple of outings and his lack of reaction when the Biancorossi took the lead have reopened the debate about the goalkeeper role. Some insiders are starting to suggest a chance for the young Paolo Vismara, considered more reliable between the posts.
Match report: balance, incidents, and a decisive penalty
The match began with both teams studying each other, without any major upsets. The visitors' first real chance came in the 28th minute: Di Nardo broke free in the box, but Gagno responded with a crucial save. On a switch, Brighenti missed a header that could have broken the deadlock. In the 33rd minute, Merkaj attempted a thunderbolt, but Boer blocked. The first half ended goalless after two minutes of injury time.
The second half opened with Juve Stabia threatening: in the 5th minute, Karic broke free, but the Vicenza defense blocked. Two minutes later, however, Vicenza took the lead: Corazza found a low shot that fooled Boer and gave the home side the lead. Ten minutes later, Gagno made a save after a duel with Pierobon. In the 71st minute, Karic was brought down in the penalty area by Carraro, but after a VAR review, the referee allowed play to continue, denying the visitors a penalty.
The turning point came five minutes later: Corazza held Maistro by the shirt, and the referee awarded a penalty. Di Nardo stepped up to take the penalty and made no mistake, leveling the score at 1-1. After six minutes of injury time, the referee blew the final whistle: the score was 1-1.
