Serie B 2026–27 preview: Promotion favourites, predictions and teams to watch

Italy’s most unpredictable league is back.

The 2026–27 Serie B season promises another campaign where reputation counts for little, promotion favourites can quickly find themselves in trouble and a late run of form can transform a season.

This year’s second tier has an especially strong line-up. Hellas Verona, Cremonese and Pisa arrive following relegation from Serie A, while Vicenza, Arezzo, Benevento and Ascoli have earned promotion from Serie C.

Add Palermo, Sampdoria, Empoli and several established Serie B sides to the equation and predicting the division becomes extremely difficult.

Palermo and Verona begin as the bookmakers’ joint favourites at around 5/2, with Cremonese at 9/2 and Pisa at 10/1.

As always in Serie B, though, expect the unexpected.

The Teams

The 20 clubs competing in Serie B in 2026–27 are:

Arezzo
Ascoli
Avellino
Benevento
Carrarese
Catanzaro
Cesena
Cremonese
Empoli
Hellas Verona
Juve Stabia
Mantova
Modena
Padova
Palermo
Pisa
Sampdoria
Südtirol
Vicenza
Virtus Entella

The new arrivals give the division an interesting balance. Verona, Cremonese and Pisa have dropped down from Serie A, while Vicenza, Arezzo and Benevento won their respective Serie C groups. Ascoli secured the fourth promotion place through the playoffs.

Palermo – Is This Finally Their Year?

Few clubs will begin the campaign under greater pressure than Palermo.

The Rosanero have spent several seasons attempting to return to Serie A and expectations in Sicily are enormous.

Filippo Inzaghi remains one of the biggest reasons to believe this could finally be their year. He knows exactly what is required to escape Serie B and has a squad capable of challenging for automatic promotion.

The arrival of Gabriel Strefezza from Olympiacos adds further attacking quality and experience to a team that should already be among the strongest in the division.

Palermo begin at the Renzo Barbera against Juve Stabia and anything other than a serious promotion challenge would be considered a disappointment.

The question is whether they can deal with the pressure.

Serie B has repeatedly shown that having one of the biggest budgets and strongest squads does not guarantee promotion.

This time, Palermo need to deliver.

Hellas Verona – Looking for an Immediate Return

After seven consecutive seasons in Serie A, Hellas Verona find themselves back in the second tier.

Their objective is obvious.

Promotion.

Verona have turned to Marco Baroni, a coach who knows the club and previously guided them to Serie A survival.

That experience could prove crucial.

Relegated clubs do not always adjust quickly to Serie B. Matches become more physical, space becomes harder to find and teams arriving from Serie A frequently discover that opponents view them as the biggest game of the season.

Verona nevertheless possess enough quality to challenge for the title.

The bookmakers agree, placing them alongside Palermo as early favourites.

If they adapt quickly, Verona should be in the automatic promotion race from beginning to end.

Cremonese – Built for Promotion

Cremonese are another club looking to bounce straight back.

Their squad contains considerable Serie B experience and attacking options including Federico Bonazzoli, Antonio Sanabria, Milan Djuric, Manuel De Luca and Marco Nasti.

That is an impressive collection of forwards at this level.

There is quality elsewhere too, with players such as Jari Vandeputte, Michele Collocolo, Matteo Bianchetti and Federico Baschirotto giving Cremonese the foundations of a promotion-calibre squad.

They begin among the leading favourites and rightly so.

Automatic promotion should be the objective.

Pisa – Can They Bounce Back?

Pisa’s return to Serie A proved short-lived and attention now turns towards rebuilding another promotion challenge.

The danger for any relegated club is allowing disappointment to linger.

Serie B offers very little time for self-pity.

Pisa have recent experience of putting together a successful promotion campaign and should remain competitive, but they appear slightly less convincing than Palermo, Verona and Cremonese heading into the opening weekend.

That is reflected in the early betting market, where they sit at around 10/1 for the title behind the leading three.

A playoff position looks realistic. Automatic promotion would represent an excellent response to relegation.

Empoli – Never Write Them Off

Empoli and Serie B have a long history.

The Tuscan club have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to rebuild, develop players and compete despite operating with fewer resources than many of their rivals.

They should not be ignored.

Empoli’s structure and academy remain significant advantages over a 38-game season and their recruitment model has traditionally been suited to this division.

A return to Serie A may be asking too much this season, but a playoff challenge certainly isn’t.

Sampdoria – A Giant Trying to Rise Again

Few stories in Serie B will attract more attention than Sampdoria.

A club with a Scudetto in its history and one of Italy’s most passionate fanbases should not be fighting for survival in the second tier.

Yet recent seasons have been extraordinarily difficult.

Bernardo Corradi takes charge with the responsibility of restoring some stability and optimism. He has spoken positively about the attitude and motivation of his squad during pre-season.

There have also been interesting additions, with Corradi discussing the integration of players including Peter Vindahl, Björn Meijer and Yari Verschaeren ahead of the campaign.

Samp begin away at Cesena and have three away matches in their opening four fixtures, including a difficult visit to Palermo.

A promotion challenge would be a major turnaround.

A more realistic first objective is stability followed by a push towards the playoffs.

Vicenza – The Promoted Team to Watch

Vicenza could be one of the most interesting sides in the division.

They did not simply win promotion from Serie C.

They dominated.

Vicenza won their group with 89 points and finished 20 points clear of second place.

That suggests they are capable of doing considerably more than simply fighting relegation.

The step from Serie C to Serie B remains substantial, but momentum can be extremely powerful.

With a historic club, passionate support and a squad accustomed to winning, Vicenza could become one of the surprise packages of the season.

A top-half finish is certainly possible.

The playoffs might not be completely unrealistic either.

Benevento – Back Where They Believe They Belong

Benevento return after winning their Serie C group and will hope their stay in the third tier proves to have been temporary.

They have experienced everything from Serie A football to Serie C in a relatively short period.

The immediate priority should be consolidation.

But Benevento have the infrastructure and support to establish themselves comfortably at this level.

Do not be surprised if they finish safely in mid-table.

Arezzo – A Long-Awaited Return

Arezzo’s promotion represents one of the best stories heading into the season.

They return to Serie B after a 19-year absence.

Survival will naturally be the priority, but promoted teams arriving with confidence can be extremely dangerous during the opening months.

Maintaining that momentum will determine whether Arezzo can establish themselves in the division.

Ascoli – Playoff Momentum

Ascoli took the more dramatic route to Serie B.

After drawing the first leg of their Serie C playoff final against Union Brescia, they won the return 3–0 to secure promotion.

Unlike Arezzo, Benevento and Vicenza, they did not dominate their group.

That could make their transition more difficult.

However, Ascoli are familiar with Serie B and return after only two seasons away.

Survival is achievable.

The Playoff Contenders

Behind the obvious promotion favourites sits a large group of clubs capable of reaching the playoffs.

Catanzaro should again be competitive after going agonisingly close to promotion last season, losing the playoff final to Monza.

Cesena have enough quality to challenge towards the top end of the table, while Modena have spent several seasons threatening to take the next step.

Avellino should also continue progressing after establishing themselves back at this level.

Then there are Sampdoria and Empoli.

Either could finish in the top six if their seasons begin positively.

That is what makes Serie B fascinating.

The difference between finishing sixth and 14th can be remarkably small.

Who Could Struggle?

Predicting relegation from Serie B is arguably even harder than predicting promotion.

Carrarese, Mantova and Virtus Entella could all face difficult campaigns, while Juve Stabia may find it challenging to reproduce some of their recent overachievement.

Südtirol have become specialists at surviving in Serie B and should never be underestimated.

Padova will be hoping to build on last season’s survival under new coach Antonio Calabro.

Among the promoted teams, Arezzo and Ascoli could find the adjustment particularly difficult.

But Serie B rarely follows the script.

At least one club expected to struggle will probably end up comfortably in mid-table.

Opening Weekend

The season begins on Friday 21 August with Vicenza hosting Catanzaro.

The rest of the opening round includes:

Vicenza vs Catanzaro
Südtirol vs Virtus Entella
Carrarese vs Mantova
Avellino vs Arezzo
Benevento vs Modena
Empoli vs Cremonese
Pisa vs Padova
Hellas Verona vs Ascoli
Cesena vs Sampdoria
Palermo vs Juve Stabia

It immediately gives us several intriguing fixtures.

Empoli against Cremonese is an early examination of two potential promotion contenders, while Verona and Palermo both begin at home against teams expected to finish considerably lower.

Key Dates

The 2026–27 campaign will once again contain 38 rounds and use an asymmetric calendar, meaning the second half of the season will not simply repeat the first-half fixture order.

The regular season is scheduled to conclude on 15 May 2027.

There will be international breaks in late September, November and March, while the Christmas break runs from 28 December until 8 January.

Then comes the uniquely Italian drama of the promotion playoffs and relegation playouts.

Key Predictions

Champions: Palermo

This feels like the season Palermo finally put everything together. They have the squad, support, resources and a coach who understands how to win promotion from Serie B.

Automatic promotion: Palermo and Hellas Verona

Verona’s Serie A experience and Baroni’s knowledge should make them extremely difficult to keep outside the top two.

Playoff winners: Cremonese

Cremonese may have to take the long route back to Serie A, but their squad looks exceptionally strong for the division.

Dark horses: Vicenza

Their dominance of Serie C cannot be ignored. They will enter Serie B with confidence and could immediately push towards the top half.

Surprise playoff contender: Sampdoria

This prediction depends heavily on Corradi restoring stability. If Samp can finally escape the chaos that has surrounded the club in recent seasons, the playoffs are achievable.

Relegation battle: Arezzo, Ascoli, Carrarese, Virtus Entella and Mantova

There is unlikely to be much separating the bottom half, but the newly promoted sides could find the jump particularly demanding.

Predicted Serie B 2026–27 Table

1. Palermo – Champions
2. Hellas Verona – Automatic promotion
3. Cremonese – Playoffs
4. Pisa – Playoffs
5. Catanzaro – Playoffs
6. Cesena – Playoffs
7. Sampdoria – Playoffs
8. Modena – Playoffs
9. Empoli
10. Vicenza
11. Avellino
12. Benevento
13. Südtirol
14. Juve Stabia
15. Padova
16. Mantova
17. Ascoli
18. Carrarese
19. Virtus Entella
20. Arezzo

If Serie B has taught us anything, this table will probably look ridiculous by Christmas.

That is precisely the appeal.

A Season Almost Impossible to Predict

Serie B has long been one of European football’s most competitive second divisions.

The 2026–27 edition could be particularly entertaining.

Palermo are desperate to complete their journey back to Serie A. Verona, Cremonese and Pisa want immediate redemption following relegation. Sampdoria are attempting to rebuild one of Italian football’s great names, while ambitious clubs such as Catanzaro, Cesena and Modena believe they can challenge.

Then there are the newcomers.

Vicenza arrive after destroying the competition in Serie C, Benevento are back and both Arezzo and Ascoli will hope momentum can carry them towards safety.

There are favourites.

There are contenders.

But in Serie B, there are very few certainties.

The road to Serie A starts here.