Four shots. Three on target. Two goals. That is the ruthless efficiency required when you are fighting for your life at the bottom of the table. La Spezia manager pez knew his side had to deliver in this massive Gameweek 19 relegation six-pointer against Bologna, and his players executed the counter-attacking game plan to perfection in a vital 2-1 away victory.

Giovanni Simeone Baldini was the hero for the visitors, opening the scoring in the 29th minute. Bologna, managed by greenboy, dominated possession (54%) and found an equaliser through Riccardo Orsolini just after the hour mark. But La Spezia refused to break. With Luka Jović pulling the strings in a Man of the Match performance, Simeone struck again in the 69th minute to silence the home crowd and secure a lifeline for the 20th-placed club.

The shockwaves from this result were felt across Italy Division 1, as the rest of the bottom four suddenly woke up. Over in Turin, 19th-placed Monza (managed by benito) pulled off their own miracle, stunning Torino Red 1-0 away from home thanks to a 69th-minute strike from Matteo Pessina.

Meanwhile, 17th-placed Sassuolo faced a daunting trip to 4th-placed Torino White. Manager xlonefoxx had spent the earlier part of the week venting his frustrations on Discord ("I hate the new engine so much man"), but his tactical setup proved impenetrable. His side absorbed 16 shots (9 on target) to grind out a gritty 0-0 draw, with goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır earning Man of the Match for a heroic string of saves.

The Italian relegation battle is now an absolute bloodbath. A mere three points separate 17th (safety) and 20th. Bologna find themselves sinking in 18th, a shocking predicament for a club boasting a ₷131M squad value and ₷57M in the bank. As league-leading Firenze manager looplab perfectly summarised the tight nature of the division on Discord recently: "qui basta steccare una partita che si perdono 10 posizioni" (here you just need to mess up one game and you lose 10 positions). The fight for survival has well and truly ignited.