PALERMO, Italy (Interstat) — In a chaotic and contentious Serie B season opener that defied pre-match projections, Palermo and visiting Juve Stabia played to a 2-2 draw Tuesday at Stadio Renzo Barbera.

The match, played on March 17, 2026, saw a flurry of late goals and a staggering 10 yellow cards, resulting in both clubs earning a single point to begin their league campaigns. The result was a surprise given statistical models heavily favored the home side. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Palermo with an 86.5 percent probability to win, while its game simulator had predicted a 1-1 draw.

The first half was a disjointed, physical affair that produced no goals but plenty of referee interventions. Juve Stabia goalkeeper Jesse Joronen was shown a yellow card in the 9th minute, setting the tone for a match riddled with stoppages. Emanuele Torrasi and Andrea Giorgini of Juve Stabia also found themselves booked before the break, as both teams struggled to establish rhythm.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 65th minute, and it came from an unlikely source. Palermo defender Mattia Bani pushed forward and scored, giving the Rosanero a 1-0 lead and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Bani’s contribution wasn’t finished, as he later assisted on his team’s second goal.

Juve Stabia responded quickly. Just eight minutes later, in the 73rd minute, substitute Nicola Mosti found the net to equalize for the visitors, silencing the Barbera and setting up a frantic final quarter-hour.

The drama intensified shortly after Mosti’s leveler. Palermo’s Mattia Bani, already a goal-scorer, received a yellow card in the 71st minute. Juve Stabia’s Ruí Modesto was also booked in the 76th minute as tensions flared.

Palermo reclaimed the lead late, with forward Joel Pohjanpalo scoring to make it 2-1, assisted by the active Bani. However, Juve Stabia displayed resilience deep into stoppage time. Substitute Giuseppe Leone became the hero for the visitors, scoring a dramatic late goal to secure a hard-fought road point at 2-2. Leone’s goal was assisted by fellow substitute Marco Varnier.

The match concluded with a flurry of late cautions, including yellows for Juve Stabia’s Giangiacomo Magnani in the 87th minute and Sheriff Kassama in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, underscoring the match’s fractious nature.

Key performances included Palermo’s Mattia Bani, who had a goal and an assist from his defensive position, and Juve Stabia’s Joel Pohjanpalo and Giuseppe Leone, who each scored crucial goals. The teams combined for a remarkable 10 assists on only four total goals, indicating a sloppy, wide-open contest.

With the result, both Palermo and Juve Stabia begin their Serie B seasons with identical records of zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Their overall records across all competitions for the season also stand at zero wins, zero losses and one draw. The match will be remembered less for its technical quality and more for its relentless, unpredictable finish and a disciplinary tally that nearly matched the goal count.