Palermo returns after an international break. Lets see if they've gained in the meantime. There is also a Coppa game in between the Lazio and Fiorentina games, which means this will be a cramped end of the year. Bologna should be a winnable game, and there should be points available against both Fiorentina and Chievo as well, who are both hovering around the middle of the table. Palermo needs some results desperately. Palermo is in 19th, with just 6 points out of 12 games, a long way off the goal of 40 and safety, getting ever nearer to the halfway point of the season. Bologna sits just 6 pts ahead in 15th place. Even with a win however, Palermo will be unable to escape the drop zone this week, as Empoli sits in 17th place with 10 points. ------------- Haven't seen a call up list yet, but Rajkovic will definitely miss after his surgery. There were hints that Lo Faso, the 18 year old, will play, and possibly even start. Its a team who needs goals, and Lo Faso was able to get plenty in the primavera last year. Nestorovski can't possibly keep up his goal a game form. ------------- I may be missing one, but surprisingly I don't recognize a single ex-Palermo player on the Bologna squad. THeir biggest threats are Simone Verdi and Mattia Destro, with 4 and 3 goals respectively -------------- The head to head favors Palermo in the recent past, with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Last season saw a 1-0 win by Palermo away from home in October, and a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture. Older matches include two 3-1 wins and a 4-1 win by Palermo going back to 2010, as well as a 3-0 win by Bologna in November 2012. Hard to imagine we'll see that many goals tomorrow.
Nestorovski keeps his goal scoring run going for at least 1 more game, scoring just 9 minutes in today. Starting line up Posavec Rispoli-Cionek-Andelkovic-Aleesami Hiljemark-Gazzi-Henrique Diamanti-Nestorovski-Sallai Gonzalez and Goldaniga both on the bench, which is somewhat surprising. I think at least one was coming back from injury, but not sure about the choices there. Lineup is given as a 4-3-3, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it take more of a 4-3-2-1 formation with Diamanti and Sallai tucking in further behind. Time to see if Palermo can hold on to a lead, or even better, score a second goal for the first time this season. Currently 20 minutes in
Nope, they can't. Mattia Destro scores barely 20 seconds after I make that post. Header from the middle of the box from a ball whipped in from probably 30+ yards out.
43rd minute. Posavec is getting some treatment for a hand injury. Looks like he should be able to stay on though. He either got kicked or stepped on. Not entirely clear on the replays I've seen. Still 1-1
Second half kicks off. It wasn't loking great for Palermo at the end of the first. Need to score a second goal for the first time this season to get all 3 pts.
Goal Bologna 66th minute. Lo Faso had just come on. Shot from just outside the box is directed straight sideways to a mostly unmarked Bologna player right at the top center of the box. That one goes in the net.
Third goal for Bologna. 73rd minute. Free kick from about 20 yards out goes over the wall, bounces just in front of Posavec and goes in. Its all too easy, once again.
Lo Faso with a golden chance 1v1 with the keeper, and hits it straight into him. This is what happens when you have to rely on 18 year olds to make a difference in a game. 4 minutes left
The worst part about Palermo's inevitable relegation is, after a miracle run to the promotion playoffs last year, Trapani has also been terrible this season, and find themselves in last place in Serie B, with just 1 win out of 14 matches. Meanwhile Catania, who was deducted 7 points for late payments, is languishing in 13th place in their group of Lega Pro. Not entirely clear but it appears that teams 2-10 of each of the 3 groups all qualify for promotion playoffs, but its unlikely that they will be promoted. Three other Sicily teams are in the same group (Messina, Syracusa, and Akragas), together they make up 12-14th places. Still early days, but at this point I wouldn't gamble on any of them to make it out of a 28 team playoff (teams 2-10 for three groups, plus the winner of the Lega Pro Cup, or the next highest placing team, if that team already qualified), playing for 1 promotion spot. Which means that Palermo will continue to lack a Sicilian derby for the 4th straight season (last time they played one was against Trapani the last time they were in Serie B).
PORTIERI: Fulignati, Guddo, Posavec. DIFENSORI: Aleesami, Andelkovic, Cionek, Goldaniga, Gonzalez, Morganella, Pezzella, Rispoli, Vitiello. CENTROCAMPISTI: Bouy, B. Henrique, Chochev, Gazzi, Hiljemark, Jajalo, Quaison. ATTACCANTI: Diamanti, Lo Faso, Nestorovski, Sallai. 23 called up for tomorrow's match. de Zerbi said that Gonzalez is 100% healthy again and will play. He also suggested that Bouy might see some playing time in the midfield. Meanwhile reports are that this game might by his last outing if the result doesn't go his way. I'm not sure why Zampa is even bothering to see how this game will inevitably end. Lazio holds the huge advantage in the recent past, with 6 wins, 3 draws, and only 1 loss, back in February 2012. Games at 6:30am et. I'll just wait to find out if we lost 4-1 or 3-1 until I wake up normally
A true shock, Palermo only lost 1-0 today. A club record 7th straight loss. Rumors of Ballardini's return are growing
Palermo lost 2-1 due to a stoppage time goal from Fiorentina. From most accounts, it looked like an improved performance. They played a 3-5-1-1 set up of some sort. Nonetheless, its the 8th straight Serie A loss for the team. Still only 4 points from safety though, thankfully
Palermo take on 13th place Chievo tomorrow, followed by games against Genoa (11th), Pescara (18th), Empoli (17th), and Sassuolo (15th), Those being the last 4 games of the first half of the season. I think this stretch will be make or break for Palermo. Its by far the easiest stretch of games in the schedule, and the fact that we have it now and again as the last 4 games of the season gives Palermo a great chance to stay up. But they need points out of the first legs for the second ones to matter.
That game against Chievo was bad. I stopped watching at halftime- Serie A is not looking like a real possibility for next year.