Mantova 2–2 Pisa | Serie B | 20 September 2026

Result Summary

A dramatic Serie B encounter at Mantova's ground ended all square at 2–2, with Vanja Vlahović's equaliser in the 90+3rd minute snatching a point for the hosts after they had surrendered the lead to Pisa. It was a match that had everything — an early opener, a second-half turnaround, a red card, and a stoppage-time twist that denied Pisa what had looked like a hard-earned victory.

Match Analysis

Mantova set the tone early. Ettore Gliozzi broke the deadlock in just the 8th minute, finishing with his right foot from a Lorenzo Ignacchiti assist, and the hosts' dominance was reflected throughout the statistics: 62% ball possession, 105 attacks to Pisa's 92, and an 80% successful pass rate compared to Pisa's 70%. Francesco Modesto's side were clearly the more industrious in their own half, but their inability to convert — managing only 3 shots on target from 14 total attempts — would prove costly.

Pisa, despite their more restrained approach, were clinical when it mattered. Filippo Pittarello levelled on 38 minutes, converting from Stefano Moreo's assist, just before Antonio Aldo Caracciolo collected a yellow card for a foul on the stroke of half-time. The visitors carried that momentum into the second half, and Moreo turned provider into scorer on 57 minutes, finishing a Simone Zanon assist to put Pisa ahead. Pisa's 5 shots on target from just 14 total underlined their efficiency in front of goal — a sharp contrast to Mantova's wastefulness.

The match turned increasingly feisty from the mid-point. Two Mantova yellows in quick succession — Alessio Castellini (53') and Jonathan Silva Pertinhes (54') — added tension, and matters escalated further when an unnamed Mantova player was sent off in the 71st minute for an argument, leaving the hosts a man down at a critical stage. Paolo Bianco's Pisa looked well-positioned to hold on, and a VAR decision involving substitute Emanuele Rao in the 83rd minute added further intrigue to a chaotic closing period, during which multiple yellow cards were issued to players from both sides.

But Mantova refused to fold. Substitute Davide Bragantini provided the assist, and fellow sub Vlahović delivered the equaliser in the 90+3rd minute, a stunning right-foot finish that silenced any notion of a Pisa victory. It was a remarkable conclusion given the numerical disadvantage Mantova had been playing under since the 71st minute.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match analysis had forecast a Pisa victory (1–2), with a 37% probability assigned to an away win versus 27% for a draw. Confidence was modest at 59/100, and ultimately the prediction proved incorrect. The stats did point towards Pisa's clinical edge in front of goal, which materialised — but Mantova's resilience and their late attacking threat, even at ten men, were underestimated. The draw outcome (27% probability) was always a realistic scenario in what was assessed as a closely contested fixture.

Key Takeaways

• Mantova's depth made the difference: both Vlahović and Bragantini combined for the decisive late goal after coming off the bench.
• Pisa's efficiency was impressive — 5 shots on target and 2 goals — but they couldn't see the game out.
• The red card in the 71st minute added significant pressure on Mantova yet paradoxically galvanised their late response.
• Both coaches will reflect on a point gained and lost in equal measure, with the match's outcome ultimately decided by moments of individual quality rather than tactical dominance.