Serie B

Serie B is the second division of Italian football. Its 20 teams play home and away: the top two are promoted directly to Serie A and a third place is decided in a play-off between the teams that finish third to eighth.

It is a tactical and very balanced league, with many draws and low-scoring matches, traits that set it apart from other European second divisions. Historic clubs relegated from Serie A usually compete to come straight back. For analysis, defensive metrics such as clean sheets and goals conceded are especially useful for reading its matches.