Liqueurs, Cat Eaters and Keepers Held at Gunpoint – Five Serie B Fixtures You Can’t Miss

If one were to mark the standout fixtures in red on the calendar, they could soon run out of ink such is the amount of fascinating games in Serie B this season.

From Filippo Inzaghi returning to Pisa to spicy regional derbies back on the cards, calcio fans will be spoilt for choice this term – with the action available to follow once more on Destination Calcio TV, where three games are shown live and for free during every round.

Here are the five matches you need to experience this season – whether from the comfort of your couch or in person on matchday.

Verona vs Vicenza – September 19

We only have to wait five weeks for one of the fixtures of the season, as Veneto’s biggest derby returns for the first time in a decade when Hellas Verona host Vicenza at the Stadio Bentegodi.

To get here, the clubs have travelled in opposite directions. Verona were hugely disappointing as they were relegated back to Serie B for the first time in seven years, while Vicenza atoned for missing out on promotion the previous season by running away with the title in Serie C Girone A.

With Padova also in the second tier, there will be no shortage of Venetian derbies this season and they don’t come any bigger than affairs between Verona and Vicenza.

Only 15 miles separate the two cities but there is no love lost between them. As an old Veneto saying has it, the Veronesi are “all mad”, while the Vicentini are “cat-eaters”.

The roots of the curious monikers can be traced in the two psychiatric hospitals that were situated in Verona and in the rumours that those in Vicenza resorted to eating cats when the city, much as Veneto as a whole, was beset by crippling poverty.

From a footballing standpoint, the Derby del Veneto first took place in 1906, four years after Vicenza were formed and three years after Hellas Verona saw the light of day.

The Biancorossi were a Serie A staple in the 1970s, but the Gialloblu won the Scudetto in 1985. Those days are long gone now, but the rivalry between the pair remains as intense as ever and a decade-long wait has only added to the sense of anticipation.

A host venue for Italia 90, the Bentegodi has seldom been full as Verona have treaded water in Serie A, but expect it to be at its raucous best when Vicenza are in town on the weekend of September 19.

The return fixtures at the Romeo Menti on the weekend of March 20 will be just as spicy.

Pisa vs Palermo – October 27

Filippo Inzaghi returns to Pisa in the first midweek round of the season just over a year after leaving the Tuscans for the Rosanero. The former AC Milan striker led Pisa back to Serie A for the first time in 34 years in 2025 as the Nerazzurri finished behind Sassuolo, but opted against making the leap to the top flight himself and swapped Pisa for Palermo.

His quest for consecutive promotions with two different clubs ended with the Sicilians knocked out in the play-off semi-final by Catanzaro and Inzaghi will be under pressure to bring the Rosanero back to the top flight for the first time in a decade.

The Tuscans’ sojourn in Serie A was all too brief and they too begin the season among the favourites for promotion under new manager Paolo Bianco, who took Monza back up at the first time of asking last term.

Pisa’s dismal showing last season suggested they may have missed Inzaghi after all, but don’t expect a packed Arena Garibaldi to welcome him back with open arms come the end of October.

Located just five minutes walk from the famous leaning tower, the Arena Garibaldi may be dated but at its best produces one of the great atmospheres in Serie B.

The visit of Palermo and Inzaghi should definitely fall within the category, particularly given the Rosanero tend to travel in numbers.

Arezzo vs Ascoli – October 31

Two newly promoted clubs go head-to-head in what is arguably the pick of the fixtures of the Halloween weekend along with the Ligurian derby between Sampdoria and Virtus Entella.

Arezzo are back in the second tier for the first time in two decades after winning Serie C Girone B last season and will be hoping to cement their place in the division in their second season under Cristian Bucchi.

The former Italy Under-21 striker is well known figure in Ascoli, where he played for two seasons in Serie B and scored 20 league goals in 64 appearances. Bucchi managed the club for 12 months, but was fired in February 2023 with the team 13th in Serie B.

Ascoli avoided the drop, but were relegated the following season and only returned to the second tier last term, defeating Union Brescia 4-1 on aggregate in the play-off final.

Il Picchio lost 2-0 at home to Arezzo last season, but returned the favour by winning 2-1 in Tuscany in March. Will the trend continue this season?

Benevento vs Avellino – November 7

Benevento’s return to Serie B means the wonderfully named Derby dei Liquori – yes, that means the Liqueur Derby – is also back on the cards, with the first instalment scheduled for November 7 in Benevento.

In what is surely a one-off in world football, the rivalry owes its name to two digestives – Strega and Anthemis. First produced in Benevento in 1860, the former is a blend of around 70 herbs and spices from around the world and famous for its striking electric yellow colour, which is derived naturally from saffron.

Anthemis, meanwhile, is crafted from a small fragrant flower which, according to an ancient monastic tradition, grows atop Mount Partenio, which towers over Avellino.

The Irpini’s ground takes its name from the mountain and legend has it that Avellino’s green kit was chosen specifically as a nod to Anthemis, believed to possess the power to ward off the curse of the Benevento sorcerer.

Benevento, of course, are nicknamed Gli Stregoni – the sorcerers.

Potions and warlocks made way for something distinctly more dangerous when Benevento and Avellino first met in 1924, as a mass brawl broke out after the Stregoni took the lead and a Benevento sub briefly held Avellino goalkeeper Serafino Galasso at gunpoint.

Unsurprisingly, the game was called off. The rivalry in the curvas reached new levels of ingenuity three years ago when Avellino fans rolled out an enormous QR flag on their visit to the Stadio Ciro Vigorito.

When scanned, the QR code revealed a less than flattering picture representing Benevento fans.

The Stregoni had plenty to celebrate as they won promotion last season, but so did Avellino, who reached the play-offs in their first campaign back in the second tier in seven years.

The Vigorito and the Partenio are two of Serie B’s most raucous atmospheres and expect both grounds to be at their absolute best on derby day.

Sampdoria vs Cremonese – November 28

Two Serie B heavyweights crossing paths in one of calcio’s great cathedrals. Sampdoria vs Cremonese is a fixture that requires no introduction at this level, even before we mention the emotional connection that links both clubs in the name of the late Gianluca Vialli.

A native of Cremona, Vialli made his name with the Grigiorossi before moving to Genoa, winning five major trophies with Sampdoria, including the club’s only Scudetto in 1991.

An icon for both sets of fans, expect flags bearing his silhouette or name to be waved both in the Gradinata Sud and the away end at Marassi when Cremonese are in town.

The Grigiorossi’s first season back in Serie A ended with a swift return to the second tier and they begin the season among the promotion favourites under new manager Marco Giampaolo, who is back in Cremona 11 years after his first spell ended.

Giampaolo, of course, also managed Sampdoria twice, securing their Serie A survival in 2022 after taking over in mid-season. The days of the Blucerchiati plying their trade in the top flight are a distant memory after two dismal seasons saw them flirt with relegation to Serie C and only avoid the drop courtesy of Brescia’s financial issues two years ago.

Under former Manchester City striker Bernardo Corradi, they will be hoping to move towards calmer waters. The only certainty is that the Marassi will be behind them. A host venue for Italia 90, the Luigi Ferraris remains one of the best places in Italy to watch football.

Destination Calcio TV shows three Serie B matches every matchday, available across 51 territories. All broadcasts are shown in the USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, the Caribbean and South America.

Fans can watch by tuning in at tv.destinationcalcio.com, downloading the app on their phone or tablet via the Google or Apple store, or by downloading the app on their Smart TV.