Follow every moment of the Serie B, with LiveScore
Serie B is Italy's second tier, where promotion to Serie A and survival in the division are the twin forces that shape every matchday. This page tracks live and completed Serie B scores across the 2025–26 season, with standings updated in real time so you can follow the promotion race, playoff positions, and relegation battle as they unfold.
Serie B is Italy's second division and one of the most competitive second-tier leagues in European football. The competition runs a 20-club format across a 38-matchday season, with final standings determining which clubs earn promotion to Serie A, which enter the promotion playoffs, and which face the drop to Serie C. The top two sides in the table earn automatic promotion, while clubs finishing between third and eighth compete in a playoff for a third promotion place. At the opposite end of the table, the bottom three clubs are relegated to Serie C.
Serie B's origins trace back to 1929, when the Italian football federation reorganised the national league structure to create a formal second division sitting beneath the newly unified Serie A. The division has operated in various formats since then, adjusting the number of clubs and promotion mechanisms across different eras. It has served as both a proving ground for emerging clubs and a destination for top-flight sides navigating difficult periods in their history.
Serie B fields 20 clubs each season. Every club plays the other 19 twice, home and away, producing 380 matches per campaign. The top two sides earn automatic promotion to Serie A. Clubs finishing third through eighth enter a promotion playoff to contest the remaining promotion place. Three clubs are relegated to Serie C and replaced by promoted sides the following season.
The promotion and relegation system operates as follows, with automatic advancement for the top two and bottom three, and a competitive playoff for the remaining promotion place:
| Finishing Position | Outcome | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | Promotion to Serie A | Automatic, based on league position |
| 3rd–8th | Promotion to Serie A | Playoff bracket; higher seeds carry advantage |
| 18th–20th | Relegation to Serie C | Automatic, replaced by promoted clubs |
Serie B's promotion structure rewards consistency across the full 38-matchday season while also giving playoff-eligible clubs a route into the top flight. The top two positions guarantee direct promotion without the need for additional matches, making them the most coveted spots in the division. Clubs finishing third through eighth must navigate a multi-round playoff series, where a single defeat can end a season's ambitions. For the 2025–26 campaign, clubs are competing across all 38 matchdays to secure or protect their standing in this race.
Three Serie B clubs earn promotion to Serie A each season. The top two sides go up automatically based on their final league position. The third promotion place is settled through a playoff bracket involving six clubs, seeded according to their league finish. The higher-seeded clubs benefit from home advantage and, in some rounds, the right to advance on a draw. No additional promotion places are available through cup competition - the only route from Serie B to Serie A runs through the league table and, for those outside the top two, the playoff.
Serie B's history spans nearly a century of competitive second-tier football in Italy, producing notable individual achievements and memorable club stories. The division's records reflect a competition that has shaped the careers of many players who went on to make their mark in Serie A and beyond.
Several clubs have spent significant portions of their history in Serie B, either as frequent visitors from the top flight or as sides that built their identity in the second tier. Brescia, Bari, and Venezia are among the clubs with long associations with the division. Historically, some of Italy's most storied names - including Juventus, Napoli, and Fiorentina - have spent time in Serie B during difficult periods, underlining the division's role as a genuine test of a club's resilience and resources.
Serie B has produced prolific scorers across its history, with several forwards using the division as a platform to earn moves to Serie A. The division rewards clinical finishing, and the leading scorers in any given season typically attract significant attention from top-flight clubs. Individual season tallies of 20 or more goals have been recorded on multiple occasions, reflecting the attacking quality that Serie B regularly showcases.
Longevity in Serie B often reflects a player's deep connection to a particular club or region. Several players have accumulated well over 200 appearances in the division across their careers, representing clubs through promotion campaigns, playoff heartbreaks, and relegation battles alike. These figures speak to the loyalty and consistency that characterise many Serie B careers.
Serie B has witnessed some emphatic scorelines across its history, with high-margin victories occasionally reshaping the promotion or relegation picture in a single afternoon. Large winning margins are relatively rare in a division where the gap between clubs is often narrow, making any result of five or more goals a notable event in the season's narrative.
Several episodes stand out in Serie B's modern history. Juventus's relegation to Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal in 2006 brought unprecedented attention to the division, with the Turin club winning the second-tier title at a canter and returning to Serie A after a single season. Napoli's own spell in Serie B in the early 2000s, during a period of severe financial difficulty, saw the club rebuild from the lower reaches of Italian football before eventually returning to the top flight and later winning the Scudetto. These stories illustrate how Serie B functions not merely as a stepping stone but as a crucible where clubs are tested and, in some cases, remade entirely.
At LiveScore, visitors can follow the results of all Serie B matches each week. Before each match, we publish essential information to help you assess the contest ahead. You can view team stats, player stats, line-ups, and head-to-head records between the two sides.
In addition to real-time Serie B scores, our team provides a live commentary section during each match. This is particularly useful for those who cannot watch the game directly, as we highlight the most important on-pitch events as they happen.
After any match, you can also watch highlights of all the games. We regularly publish recordings of key moments, including shots on goal, significant referee decisions, and other notable passages of play.
Three clubs earn promotion to Serie A each season - two automatically through their final league position, and one through a playoff involving the clubs that finish third through eighth.
Three clubs are relegated to Serie C at the end of every Serie B season, replaced by promoted sides from the third tier.
Serie B was established in 1929 as part of a broader reorganisation of Italian football that also introduced the modern single-group format for Serie A.
Clubs finishing third through eighth in the final standings enter a multi-round playoff series. Higher-placed clubs are seeded advantageously, and the format rewards teams that performed strongly across the full league season.
Yes. Juventus, Napoli, and Fiorentina are among the prominent clubs that have spent time in Serie B at various points in their histories.