Cesena Secures Opening Victory: Blesa, Bisoli, and Shpendi Overpower Newly Promoted Pescara
Mignani`s Cesena began their Serie B journey successfully, securing a convincing 3-1 away victory against newly promoted Pescara. This win highlighted Cesena`s attacking prowess and tactical discipline, demonstrating a mature performance driven by established players like Bastoni and Shpendi, alongside impactful new signings Blesa and Bisoli, both of whom found the back of the net. Pescara, still in the process of building their squad for survival, delivered a largely uninspired performance, with only Olzer (a new acquisition from Brescia, who scored) and goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches standing out. Desplanches was arguably the best player in the first half, though his late indecision contributed to Cesena`s decisive third goal midway through the second half.
The opening round of Serie B is set to continue with four additional matches scheduled for tomorrow: Empoli vs. Padova and Entella vs. Juve Stabia will kick off at 7 PM, followed by Monza vs. Mantova and Palermo vs. Reggiana at 9 PM.
Blesa Opens the Scoring for Cesena
For the home side, Pescara`s starting lineup featured new acquisitions including Corbo in central defense, Graziani and Olzer in midfield, and an attacking trio of Sgarbi, Di Nardo, and the number 10, Merola. Mignani, in contrast, opted for a 3-5-2 formation for Cesena: former Juventus player Frabotta positioned wide on the left, ex-Brescia midfielder Bisoli in the central midfield, and Cristian Shpendi partnered upfront with new signing Jalen Blesa, who joined from Romanian club Craiova. Cesena`s attacking duo exhibited contrasting fortunes in the first half: Shpendi squandered a golden tap-in opportunity in the 5th minute, which was thwarted by a reflex save from Desplanches following an excellent assist from Bastoni. However, in the 31st minute, Blesa clinically put Cesena ahead, converting a move initiated by the ever-influential Bastoni and skillfully refined by Berti.
For the entirety of the first half-hour, Cesena largely dictated play, with Pescara`s Desplanches performing heroics reminiscent of Superman. In the 28th minute, the Italian U21 goalkeeper magnificently denied Ciervo`s diagonal shot, then immediately followed up with another save from Shpendi`s tap-in attempt. Pescara eventually capitalized on their goalkeeper`s resilience, equalizing with their first shot on target in the 35th minute. Olzer unleashed a powerful, missile-like left-footed strike from outside the penalty area, evening the score at 1-1. Cesena sought to regain the lead late in the half through Bisoli, but Desplanches once again stretched to push his effort wide for a corner.
Desplanches` Costly Error Seals Pescara`s Fate
Olzer`s equalizer proved to be merely a temporary reprieve, as Cesena swiftly struck again early in the second half. Bastoni surged down the left flank and skillfully set up Shpendi, who, after several previous attempts, finally found the back of the net from the center of the box, restoring Cesena`s lead. Pescara`s coach Vivarini attempted to inject new life into his team with a double substitution around the hour mark, introducing Kraja and Meazzi. Meazzi subsequently tried a curling shot, but Klinsmann in the Cesena goal was well-positioned to make the save.
As often happens, a missed opportunity quickly led to a conceded goal: in the 64th minute, Cesena scored their third, capitalizing on Desplanches` solitary error of the match. The goalkeeper, a product of the Milan youth academy, failed to hold onto a long cross from the left, allowing Bisoli to easily tap in from close range, making the score 3-1. This goal delivered a significant blow to the morale and composure of the Abruzzesi. They only managed to threaten Klinsmann`s goal again deep into injury time, once more through Olzer, whose clever off-the-ball run and powerful header were impressively saved by the visiting goalkeeper. It was far too little, too late for Pescara to mount a comeback; the three points ultimately sailed north with Cesena.
