It’s time to go, again.

While it feels like the previous season ended just a few weeks ago, the start of a new one is nearly upon us.

Serie B clubs have been busy in the summer transfer market, some more so than others, and many have made managerial changes over the course of the past two months.

There is an air of uncertainty towards the top of the league, and that only adds to the excitement going into the new campaign.

Can Venezia, Monza and Empoli bounce back at the first time of asking? Can any of the newly promoted quartet survive? Who’ll win the Capocannoniere award?

Our Destination Calcio writers give their verdicts ahead of the new season.

Automatic promotion places

Dan Cancian: At the risk of being predictable, I’m going with Palermo and Venezia. Serie B is a notoriously difficult league to predict, but these two look a cut above the rest, particularly when considering the managers in the respective dug-outs.

It is no coincidence that both clubs have managed to convince Filippo Inzaghi and Giovanni Stroppa to remain in Serie B after winning promotion with Pisa and Cremonese last season.

With great expectations comes great pressure. The Rosanero‘s wait for a return to Serie A is entering its ninth year and they are yet to reap the benefits of being owned by City Football Group, while the Lagunari returned to calcio’s second tier after a fleeting visit to the top flight and failing to win promotion is simply not an option in Sicily nor in Veneto.

Winning the transfer window may be the most fleeting of titles, but Palermo and Venezia have both made waves this summer.

Antonio Palumbo and Emmanuel Gyasi arrived from Modena and relegated Empoli respectively to strengthen the Sicilians’ midfield, while Mattia Bani and Tommaso Augello made a step down from Serie A to bolster Inzaghi’s defensive options.

In Jeremy Le Douaron, Matteo Brunori and Joel Pohjanpalo, Palermo boast one of the best attacking trios in the division.

A €4m signing from Venezia in the January transfer window, the latter scored nine in his first nine games and was sorely missed in the Lagoon, as his former side slid towards relegation. The task of filling the Pohjanpalo-shaped hole falls on Andrea Adorante, the headline signings of a £5m summer spending spree that also included the arrivals of Fali Cande and Seid Korac from Metz and Vojvodina respectively.

Only Armand Lauriente, Francesco Pio Esposito and Pietro Iemmello scored more than Adorante’s 15 regular-season goals in Serie B last term and a similar return would go some way towards repaying Venezia’s investment.

Inzaghi is targeting a third promotion to Serie A in the last five years, while Stroppa is aiming for a fourth in six. Don’t be surprised if they both celebrate another promotion come May.

Emmet Gates: I fancy Palermo and Monza to gain the two automatic promotion spots.

Palermo have spent big in the summer and managed to convince Serie B promotion specialist Pippo Inzaghi to drop back down into the division rather than guide Pisa into Serie A.

Signing the likes of Antonio Palumbo and Emanuel Gyasi add strength to the squad, and a full season of Pohjanpalo in attack will likely see the Finland international top the Pablito charts.

Monza, meanwhile, still have a very strong squad on paper and have retained several of their top players from their relegation last season. The likes of Matteo Pessina, Gianluca Caprari, Dany Mota and and Andrea Colpani should sparkle in the second tier.

David Ferrini: Venezia and Monza are my picks for automatic promotion, with Palermo and Spezia knocking loudly on the door.

Midfield is where it’s going to be decided, and the hype surrounding Venezia’s talented ball-winners and distributors is well deserved. Hans Nicolussi Caviglia and Gianluca Busio are two exceptional options in the centre, while Italian U21 international Issa Doumbia possesses the kind of pace and control to cause headaches for even top tier defenders – as showcased last season in Serie A.

Meanwhile, Monza have boosted their midfield ranks with Pedro Obiang, Nicolas Galazzi and Paulo Azzi, a clear signal of intent. But can they displace the Brianzoli triumvirate of Patrick Ciurria, Euros winner Matteo Pessina and Andrea Colpani? The latter was called up to Luciano Spalletti’s Nazionale just over 18 months ago, and is fresh back from a loan spell at Fiorentina where he also appeared in the UEFA Conference League on five occasions.

Spezia’s Salvatore Esposito and Palermo’s Antonio Palumbo could flourish this season, but Monza and Venezia have the strongest midfields in the league, and that is where matches are usually won or lost.

Play-offs hopefuls

Emmet Gates: Venezia, Empoli, Spezia, Catanzaro, Cesena and Modena are all sides who will likely feature in the upper half of the table.

Venezia were meek in Serie A last season, but have a good enough squad to threaten for automatic promotion. Empoli have made some smart signings and have retained the core of the side that suffered relegation, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them in the play-off places in the business end of the campaign.

Catanzaro remain strong despite losing Fabio Caserta to Bari, with Pietro Iemmello gearing up for another season of rattling in copious amounts of goals.

Spezia will also be there or thereabouts following their play-off final defeat to Cremonese, despite losing top scorer Francesco Pio Esposito. Cesena and Modena could also offer a significant threat after promising performances at the back end of last season.

David Ferrini: Palermo and Spezia are my picks for third and fourth, with Modena soaring up into fifth, and Empoli jostling with Frosinone, Juve Stabia, Sampdoria and Cesena for sixth, seventh and eighth.

Frosinone would then be the most likely to threaten Spezia and Palermo in the play-offs. Incoming manager Massimiliano Alvini has done superbly by adding Giacomo Calò to his midfield, and has managed to keep the electric Fares Ghedjemis and Giorgi Kvernadze at the club too.

Don’t discount Modena either. Andrea Sottil’s exciting new project is underway at the Braglia. Yes, last season’s playmaker Antonio Palumbo may no longer be around, but the additions of Luca Zanimacchia, Niklas Pyythia and Francesco Di Mariano should more than make up for the loss. It all depends on how much time they need to gel.

Dan Cancian: Familiarity may well breed contempt but when it comes to Serie B it may also be crucial to success. On nine occasions in the the past decade the play-offs featured at least one team that had reached the business end of the campaign the previous term and in the past four seasons, three times a team that lost the play-off final went on to win promotion the following season.

Can Spezia continue the trend? The Ligurians have held onto Luca D’Angelo after their play-off final heartbreak against Cremonese two months ago, but have lost Francesco Pio Esposito, who returned to Inter Milan. His 19 goals will be hard to replace, but in Vanja Vlahovic and Gabriele Artistico there is hope.

Esposito’s brother Salvatore is back at Spezia on loan and will again have a crucial role to play in D’Angelo’s midfield. Beyond Spezia, Empoli and Monza are favourites to return to Serie A at the first time of asking, but history shows swiftly bouncing back to calcio’s upper echelon is easier said than done.

Catanzaro will be hoping they can finally get over the hump after coming unstuck in the semi-finals for the past two seasons. Pietro Iemmello guarantees goals, but the Calabrians will have to adjust to life under Alberto Aquilani, who replaced Fabio Caserta in the hotseat.

The latter has taken charge of Bari, who have overhauled their squad with the arrivals of Christian Gytkjaer, Lorenzo Dickmann, Michele Cerofolini and Matthias Verreth in a bid to return to the play-offs.

Modena have followed a similar path, leaving no stone unturned to give incoming manager Andrea Sottil the best chance to bring the Canaries back in the top eight after consecutive mid-table finishes.

When push comes to shove, I’m going with Spezia, Empoli, Monza, Modena, Catanzaro and one between Bari and Frosinone.

Relegation candidates

Emmet Gates: Virtus Entella could find the step up a bit difficult, and are my main pick to be certain of a return to Serie C. The other candidates, however, are more difficult to call.

Avellino will also be in the firing line, as are Reggiana and Mantova, who may not have enough to survive another campaign in Serie B.

Pescara and Padova may, however, have enough about them to survive, especially with the latter possessing Papu Gomez. Papu will be out on a tour of redemption in 2025-26, and he could galvanise the Venetian club into beating the drop.

Entella, Avellino, Reggiana and Mantova to go down for me.

David Ferrini: Serie B is famous for its competitiveness. No one expected Sampdoria and Salernitana to be slugging it out in the play-out only two months ago, and we may be set for another drama-filled storyline this season.

Of the remaining 13 sides from the last campaign, Sudtirol, Carrarese and Mantova stand out to me as most likely to dip down.

When it comes to the newly-promoted quartet, Avellino appear the most ambitious, having secured Roberto Insigne, Andrea Favilli and Gennaro Tutino. Pescara too have lured the up and coming Sebastiano Desplanches, with new forward Lorenzo Sgarbi desperate to prove himself.

Padova have done particularly good work, signing Antonio Barreca, Papu Gomez and former Como midfielder Daniele Baselli, along with a whole host of promising starlets like Jacopo Bacci from Empoli, Jonas Harder from Fiorentina and Luca Di Maggio from Inter Milan.

Entella, though, are my favourites for demotion, despite new arrivals Tommaso Fumagalli and Ahmad Benali. The Biancocelesti may have designed one of Serie B’s best kits, but are my pick for 20th, with Carrarese and Sudtirol making up the bottom three. Mantova and Pescara for the play-out.

Dan Cancian: At the risk of sounding like a spoilsport, I’m picking Virtus Entella to go straight back down. History shows that one of the newly-promoted sides from Serie C seldom survive in the second division and fellow newcomers Avellino, Padova and Pescara have all done better work than the Ligurians this summer.

Sudtirol and Carrarese punched admirably above their weight last season, but recreating that recipe is going to prove harder this season despite some smart recruitment this summer and the same can be said of Reggiana and Mantova, who both avoided the drop courtesy of great escapes last term. One of them won’t be so lucky this term.

Virtus Entella, Mantova, Sudtirol and Carrarese to go down.

Surprise package

Dan Cancian: Predicting the surprise package in a league as competitive as Serie B is an exercise in futility, but I’m going with Modena. Two consecutive mid-table finishes have given them a solid enough platform and in Andrea Sottil they have recruited a manager who knows the division inside-out.

The former Udinese manager may have never won promotion from the Italian second division but he will be fuelled by the desire to address that gap in his CV and to atone for a dismal three months in charge of Sampdoria last term.

With Antonio Palumbo sold to Palermo for £2m, Modena must replace their chief creator and most reliable finisher from last season with 10 assists and nine goals, but in Francesco Di Mariano, Finland Under-21 Niklas Pyyhtia and Luca Zanimacchia they have made some intriguing signings.

Emmet Gates: I’m basing this purely on the back of signing Papu Gomez, but I fancy Padova to be something of a surprise package. Do I think they’ll do what Juve Stabia did last year and make it to the play-offs? No. But I do think they will upset many a team on their return to the division.

The club have also signed players like Daniele Baselli and Antonio Barreca, players with experience who know the league. But it all hinges on Gomez.

Papu might be closer to 40 than 30 and has been out of action for nearly two years following a doping ban, but he has more than enough quality to shine in Serie B, and once he clicks into gear, Padova could survive quite comfortably.

David Ferrini: Modena are a side that wants to go places: they’ve hired Andrea Sottil as manager, cleared out the dead wood and replenished with some absolute beauties like Leandro Chichizola in goal, Davide Adorni in defence and Luca Zanimacchia between the lines.

Sottil has depth too, with former Roma striker Gregoire Defrel, Giuseppe Caso and Luca Magnino staying on from last season.

Capocannoniere

Emmet Gates: Like I mentioned earlier, it’s hard to look past Joel Pohjanpalo as the winner of the Pablito award with a full season under his belt.

He hit nine in 14 after arriving in January, so imagine how many he’ll get over the course of a full campaign, especially when being fed by the likes of Antonio Palumbo and Filippo Ranocchia.

Andrea Adorante will be in the conversation, now with Venezia, as will Catanzaro cult hero Pietro Iemmello.

David Ferrini: Emmet has hit the nail – he usually does – but I’d like to add Pedro Mendes into the conversation. If Modena are to have a sensational season – as I’ve predicted above – then they will need at least 15 goals from their Portuguese striker. That’s a gamble considering Mendes scored just five last term, but sometimes it’s about the service into the box.

Matteo Brunori is a dark horse for me, along with Monza pair Dany Mota and Keita Baldé.

Dan Cancian: Andrea Adorante rattled in 15 goals in his debut season with Juve Stabia last term, adding a furthe two in three play-off matches as the Stabians were knocked out by Cremonese in the play-offs semi-finals.

With a better supporting cast around him at Venezia, there is no reason why Adorante can’t go even better this season. Elsewhere, Pietro Iemmello will be back among the goals after plundering 16 last term for Catanzaro – the only player along with Armand Lauriente and Francesco Pio Esposito to score more than Adorante in the regular season.

As Emmet mentioned, a full season of Joel Pohjanpalo at Palermo should return goals in spades if his first five months at the Renzo Barbera were anything to go by.

Manager Most Under Pressure

David Ferrini: Pressure can burst pipes but it can also create diamonds. When it comes to Serie B, Pippo Inzaghi is a metaphorical three-carat beauty. This is why Palermo wanted the former Pisa boss so badly.

The Palermo project deserves a leader with first-hand experience of being under fire, and that is what Inzaghi brings. His words have enough weight around them to deflect the pressure away from his playing group, something that was missing last season with Alessio Dionisi in charge.

Having succeeded as both player and manager, Inzaghi commands respect. The players look up to him, they respond to his demands, and the press love him too.

Better still, the fans love Super Pippo, and the demanding Palermitano public could be less impulsive and show a little more patience with the 2006 World Cup winner in town. It all helps.

Of course, pipes often burst from intense pressure too. The loss of Kristoffer Lund may hurt the Rosanero‘s left side, but Inzaghi has stocked up with versatile wide men Tommaso Augello and Emmanuel Gyasi – two former Serie A boys who have been exposed to pressure, shutting down elite international footballers on a weekly basis.

Despite the weight of expectation in the Sicilian capital, I’m not expecting Palermo to need a plumber this season.

Dan Cancian: Massimo Donati, albeit through no fault of his own. High expectations surround Giovanni Stroppa at Venezia and Filippo Inzaghi at Palermo, but following last season’s historically dismal showing the Sampdoria manager will be under enormous pressure from the start.

Andrea Pirlo was sacked three games into last season, followed through the exit door by Andrea Sottil in December and Leonardo Semplici in May before Alberico Evani eventually dragged the Blucerchiati to safety in the relegation play-out against Salernitana, but only after being handed an unexpected lifeline following Brescia’s points deduction.

Unlike Pirlo last season, Donati will not be asked to deliver promotion, but that doesn’t mean he can afford a slow start. Sampdoria host play-off hopefuls Modena and Cesena either side of a trip to Sudtirol, before back-to-back visits to Monza and Bari.

Failure to hit the ground running could soon result in the mood turning sour again at Marassi.

Emmet Gates: Pippo Inzaghi is under the most pressure for me. Following off the back of his second promotion with Pisa, Super Pippo is now being tasked with getting Palermo out of the division they’ve been stuck in for four years running.

It’s been eight years since the Rosanero featured in the top flight, and Inzaghi will be under intense pressure to bring the Siclian side back to the promised land.

With a stellar squad already and with the likes of Antonio Palumbo and Emanuel Gyasi added to the squad, not to mention the powerful figure of Joel Pohjanpalo, the stage is set for Inzaghi to secure a hat-trick of Serie B promotions.

But can he live up to the hype? The expectation could be too much. No one expected Pisa to finish second last season, but this isn’t the case now with Palermo. He has to get it right.

Don’t forget, Destination Calcio will be bringing you live Serie B action during every round of the 2025-26 on DCTV.

Click HERE to find out the matches we will be showing across the first few weeks of the season.

Click HERE for the full 2025-26 calendar.