Lucarelli pen 50 (L), Bellucci 60 (L), Bergvold 65 (L), Maxi Lopez 86 (C)
Stadio Picchi
Livorno at least boosted morale with their first victory in 16 rounds, as the crowd saw fantastic goals from Claudio Bellucci and Maxi Lopez, but it didn’t stop them sliding into Serie B.
The Amaranto were essentially relegated already after just five draws from the last 15 rounds, but welcomed a Catania side that needed only a handful of points to be mathematically safe. Leonardo Miglionico, Nelson Rivas, Francesco Tavano, Antonio Filippini, Diniz, Mirko Pieri and the suspended Romano Perticone missed out. The visitors were without Cristian Llama and Blazej Augustyn.
These two sides had met 37 times between Serie A, B and C1 with 15 Livorno wins, nine draws and 13 Catania triumphs. Their last encounter here was a 1-0 Amaranto victory on March 2 2008.
The stands were practically empty, as Amaranto supporters had announced they would boycott this match in protest at recent results.
Gennaro Delvecchio wasted an early header and Ricchiuti also failed to make the most of a good chance when he sprung the offside trap.
Livorno’s first chance was a fierce snapshot from Martin Bergvold that stung the palms of Mariano Andujar. Claudio Bellucci had a few efforts, but they tended to be too weak to really trouble the goalkeeper.
On 33 minutes Cristian Raimondi volleyed a corner kick, but Terlizzi performed practically a goalline clearance to keep it out.
David Di Gennaro forced a save out of Andujar with his free kick, but after the restart he was brought down by Ciro Capuano in a clumsy tackle from behind. The penalty was inevitable along with the second yellow card, although it took several minutes of persuasion for the referee to remember he had already booked the defender. Cristiano Lucarelli coolly converted by sending Andujar the wrong way.
Raimondi thought he’d made it 2-0, but the cross-shot from a narrow angle cracked against the outside of the upright.
Livorno doubled their lead with an absolute gem of a goal from veteran Bellucci. Lucarelli knocked down a cross for Bellucci’s spectacular right-foot volley from 12 yards that flew into the top corner with an outside curl.
Lucarelli’s strike with the outside of his right foot flashed across the face of goal to skim the far post.
Bergvold did make it 3-0 soon after, firing in low at the near bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Lucarelli went close again with an audacious volley from Vitale’s cross.
Catania did get one back late on with a truly magnificent overhead kick from Maxi Lopez. Alfonso De Lucia had punched away a free kick to the edge of the area, where Maxi Lopez acrobatically catapulted the ball into the far top corner.