Serie A

17TH PLACE

Three wins, four draws and eight defeats for Spezia, who sit just above the relegation zone

Following three wins, four draws and eight defeats, Spezia currently sit just above the relegation zone on 13 points, six ahead of third-bottom Cremonese. The Ligurians have spread out their wins, beating Empoli on the opening day, Sampdoria on matchday seven and, crucially, Hellas in their final game of 2022. Given that it was a six-pointer, the victory in Verona was crucial for Luca Gotti’s side, who put further distance between themselves and the bottom three. Notably, the Bianconeri have already faced the top five and lost just two matches against direct rivals in the table having been beaten by Salernitana and Monza. Spezia will return to action at home to Atalanta at 14:30 CET on Wednesday 4 January, after which they’ll take on Lecce in a vital match in the battle to avoid the drop. That fixture is scheduled for 15:00 CET on Sunday 8 January.

FUN FACT:
Following his brace against Verona, MBala Nzola is now Spezia’s highest-ever Serie A TIM goalscorer on the road with eight goals to his name. In general, he’s found the net on 20 occasions in the Italian top flight for the Bianconeri, at least six more times than any other Spezia player.

PLAYERS AT THE WORLD CUP:
Kiwior (Poland); Ampadu (Wales).

SCHEDULE DURING THE BREAK:
Spezia will return to training on 28 November in La Spezia before spending time in Oliva, in the Valencian Community, Spain, between 12 and 22 December.

(Photos: LaPresse)