What happened in Serie B 1971-72

In the previous season Mantova had won the Serie B championship with Bari, Atalanta and Catanzaro second, forced to a three-team playoff to determine the other two promotion slots. Atalanta had won both ties and Catanzaro had beaten Bari.

Source Lazio Wiki

This year eyes were on Bari and Brescia who had just missed out on promotion the previous year plus the teams that had been relegated from Serie A: Foggia, Lazio and Catania. But in the end promotion was a battle between Ternana, the Biancocelesti, Como, Palermo and Reggiana.

September-October

Serie B started late in September and by the end of October Umbria was leading with Perugia and Ternana. But as everybody knows, Serie B is a long tournament and anything could still happen. In the early matches, Ternana beat Lazio who in turn beat Como.

Perugia 9, Ternana 9, Lazio 8, Palermo 8, Bari 8, Taranto 8, Reggiana 7, Cesena 7, Brescia 6, Monza 6, Reggina 6, Catania 6, Novara 6, Como 5, Foggia 5, Livorno 5, Genoa 4, Sorrento 3, Arezzo 2, Modena 2

November

In the four November games, Palermo caught up with Ternana but it was all very close with 12 teams in four points. Lazio drew with Palermo and lost to Reggiana.

Palermo 14, Ternana 14, Reggiana 13, Taranto 13, Lazio 12, Perugia 12, Catania 12, Cesena 12, Bari 11, Brescia 10, Reggina 10, Novara 10, Como 9, Monza 9, Foggia 8, Livorno 8, Arezzo 6, Genoa 6, Modena 6, Sorrento 5

December 

In December, Ternana took the solitary lead of Serie B followed by Lazio. Behind, Modena and Sorrento were in a spot of bother. Ternana drew with Como but beat Palermo. The Sicilians also lost at Como but beat Reggiana.

Ternana 21, Lazio 19, Taranto 18, Reggiana 17, Palermo 17, Bari 16, Perugia 16, Cesena 16, Como 15, Novara 15, Catania 14, Reggina 14, Brescia 13*, Foggia 12, Monza 11, Genoa 11, Livorno 11, Arezzo 9*, Modena 7, Sorrento 6

 * One game in hand

January

In the five games of the new year, Palermo moved level with Ternana, with Lazio in third place. There was already a slight gap with fourth placed Reggiana and Perugia. Ternana drew at Reggiana who won at Como.

Palermo 26, Ternana 26, Lazio 25, Reggiana 23, Perugia 23, Bari 22, Cesena 22, Taranto 21, Como 20, Foggia 19, Novara 19, Catania 19, Brescia 18, Genoa 17, Reggina 17, Monza 16, Arezzo 15, Livorno 14, Modena 11, Sorrento 7

February 

Palermo and Ternana still leading, Lazio had slipped to fourth. Big gap now for the bottom two Modena and Sorrento. The Biancocelesti drew with the Umbrians.

Palermo 32, Ternana 30, Reggiana 27, Lazio 26, Perugia 25, Cesena 25, Como 24, Foggia 23, Bari 23, Taranto 23, Novara 23, Brescia 22, Catania 22, Genoa 21, Arezzo 19, Reggina 19, Monza 18, Livorno 16, Modena 11, Sorrento 11

March 

The three March games saw Ternana back in the lead ahead of Palermo. The battle for third included five teams with Lazio slightly ahead. Modena and Sorrento reduced their deficit on Livorno but these three clubs really needed to start getting important points if they wanted to avoid relegation. The Biancocelesti drew with Como.

Ternana 37, Palermo 35, Lazio 32, Reggiana 31, Bari 30, Como 30, Cesena 30, Perugia 28, Genoa 28, Novara 27, Catania 27, Taranto 27, Foggia 26, Brescia 24, Arezzo 23, Reggina 21, Monza 21, Livorno 16, Sorrento 14, Modena 14

April 

Lazio managed to reach second place in April’s five games and were now just one point behind Ternana. Behind Sorrento started to climb up but perhaps it was too late. The Biancocelesti drew with Palermo who also drew with Ternana, but lost to Reggiana.

Ternana 41, Lazio 40, Palermo 40, Reggiana 38, Como 38, Bari 35, Cesena 35, Perugia 35, Foggia 33, Catania 33, Genoa 32, Novara 31, Brescia 29, Taranto 29, Arezzo 28, Reggina 25, Monza 23, Sorrento 19, Livorno 18, Modena 18

May

With the May games there were now three games to the end of the season with five teams fighting for promotion. Ternana had an edge over the others with Lazio, Palermo, Reggiana and Como within one point fighting for the other two places. Ternana drew at Como who also drew at Palermo. Behind Sorrento and Modena were practically doomed for Serie C, Livorno were very close to relegation. 

Ternana 46, Lazio 44, Palermo 44, Reggiana 43, Como 43, Cesena 39, Perugia 39, Bari 38, Foggia 38, Genoa 37, Catania 36, Novara 36, Taranto 35, Brescia 33, Arezzo 32, Reggina 27, Monza 26, Livorno 24, Sorrento 20, Modena 20

June 

In the beginning of June, Ternana beat Reggiana, Como and Palermo drew and Lazio beat Foggia. Hence with two games to the end: Ternana 48, Lazio 46, Palermo 45, Como 44, Reggiana 43. 

In the penultimate game Lazio beat Genoa, Ternana lost, Como won away at Novara, Palermo beat Cesena, Reggiana lost to Sorrento and were no longer in contention. Lazio and Ternana were on 48 points, Palermo 47, Como 46. The Biancocelesti and Umbrians needed just one more point for Serie A. Livorno joined Sorrento and Modena in Serie C.

In the last game Ternana beat Novara and won the Serie B championship, Lazio drew at Bari and secured second place, Palermo drew at Sorrento but because Como lost at Reggiana, they too clinched Serie A.

Giorgio Chinaglia was top scorer with 21 goals.

Final table: Ternana 50, Lazio 49, Palermo 48, Como 46, Reggiana 45, Cesena 43, Perugia 43, Catania 41, Foggia 41, Genoa 41, Bari 40, Brescia 38, Taranto 36, Novara 36, Arezzo 33, Reggina 29, Monza 28, Livorno 26, Sorrento 25, Modena 22

What happened in Serie A

In the top tier with five games to the end of the season there were five teams in three points: Juventus and Torino 35, Cagliari 34, Milan 33 and Fiorentina 32. Torino took the solitary lead in the next game but lost the next game, defeated by Milan. Fiorentina lost ground hence with three games to go, Juventus were on 38 points, Cagliari and Torino 37 and Milan 36. The Bianconeri beat the Sardinians and took a two-point lead reduced to one point coming into the final match of the season. A win over Vicenza at home gave them their 14th title.

Inter had reached the final of the European Cup but were beaten by Ajax Amsterdam, Torino had been eliminated by Rangers in the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup, and in the first ever UEFA Cup tournament Napoli had been eliminated in the first round by Rapid Bucuresti, Bologna by Zeljo in the second, Juventus by Wolves in the quarter finals and Milan by Tottenham in the semis.

Juventus would play in the European Cup, Milan, who won the Coppa Italia beating Napoli 2-0, the Cup Winners Cup, Torino, Cagliari, Inter and Fiorentina qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Top scorer was Roberto Boninsegna (Inter) with 22 goals, one more than Gigi Riva (Cagliari).