Mignani’s Palermo draws again, at the Barbera it ends 0-0 against Parma: great balance on the pitch against the league leaders. Third draw in a row for the new coach, after the one on his debut against Sampdoria and the 1-1 draw in Cosenza last week. The Rosanero haven’t won for more than a month, since the away game in Lecco on March 10th; within friendly walls, then, the three-point drought is even longer given that the success has not been achieved since February 17th (Palermo-Como 3-0).
Among the positive notes of the evening was the confirmation of a good team compactness: the Rosanero essentially conceded shots from the edge and, all things considered, were attentive from behind. The offensive maneuver, however, continues to be a bit confusing and at times even predictable: the inaccuracy in front of goal, then, prevented the home team from breaking the deadlock on the few real opportunities that Parma conceded. Pecchia’s team, in fact, defended itself with order and precision and effectively closed the passing lines for large stretches of the match. Mancuso, Brunori and Buttaro found themselves two steps from the goal but in all circumstances the conclusion was not a winner.
The initial choices, surprises in the rosanero compared to the finishing
Mignani upsets the formation lined up in finishing at Torretta. Lucioni and Di Mariano return to the starting lineup after the disqualification in Cosenza, Nedelcearu takes over Ceccaroni, Lund confirmed on the left (yesterday Aurelio was tested), Segre sits on the bench (the second in a row) and in his place is Henderson. Confirmations for Mancuso in attack, despite the indications from the day before that Insigne seemed to be on pole.
In the opening stages, Parma exerted high pressure on the Rosanero defence, blocking the build-up from below. The rosanero are looking for alternative solutions, Henderson often lowers himself to offer himself as an alternative to Gomes in the director’s room. Mancuso moves, creating problems for the Parma defense, offering his teammates an outlet in depth (although he is not always rewarded). The guests close the passing lines well, the Rosanero’s ball possession is sterile and developed only horizontally, also due to the little movement without the ball which does not allow the holder to find valid solutions. In the 19th minute Di Mariano tries an acrobatics, very high conclusion. Palermo’s maneuver is rather slow, Pecchia’s team limits itself to covering the spaces in an orderly manner without risking anything. In the 30th minute Di Mariano remains on the ground after a clash with Estevez, the Palermo player forced out due to a knee injury: the number ten out on a stretcher amidst the applause of the people, with Buttaro replacing him. In the 35th minute Mancuso almost took the lead with a nice strike, Chichizola deflected it for a corner. Di Chiara shortly afterwards, following a mistake on the restart by Buttaro, challenges Pigliacelli with a shot deflected by Diakité which the goalkeeper parries for a corner. In injury time Parma has another chance: Del Prato’s header deflected by Lund who rears up, Pigliacelli punctual.
The first half of the match ends without a goal, the teams return to the locker rooms with a score of 0-0.
The recovery
At the beginning of the second half Pecchia replaces Cyprien with Charpentier, no changes made by Mignani. In the 49th minute, Estevez’s insidious volley ends up just wide. In the 54th minute, a great chance for Brunori, caught very well by Henderson with a header: the captain kicks himself and fails to find the goal from a few steps away. In the 64th minute Mancuso tries again, his left-handed shot doesn’t find the right turn and ends up wide of Chichizola’s goal. In the 67th minute a chance for Charpentier, the yellow-blue number 9 just misses the target. Mignani changes, bringing in Traorè and Segre in place of Mancuso and Henderson; Pecchia responds with Sohm for Mihaila. Shortly after Man’s shot from outside, Pigliacelli deflects into a corner in volleyball style. In the 76th minute Buttaro scores from a very good position, after clearing himself well: too much inaccuracy in front of goal for the rosanero. In the final minutes the teams are no longer able to produce concrete opportunities and at the final whistle they divide the stakes.
Scoreboard and report cards
PALERMO (3-5-2): Pigliacelli 6.5; Diakité 6, Lucioni 6, Nedelcearu 6; Di Mariano 6 (32′ Buttaro 6), Gomes 6, Henderson 6 (69′ Segre 6), Di Francesco 6, Lund 6; Mancuso 6 (69′ Traorè 6), Brunori 5.5 (89′ Coulibaly sv). Trainer: Mignani 6.
PARMA (4-2-3-1): Chichizola 6; Delprato 6, Osorio 5.5, Circati 6, Di Chiara 6.5; Estevez 6.5, Cyprien 6 (46′ Charpentier); Man 6.5 (83′ Ansaldi sv), Bernabè 6.5, Mihaila 6 (69′ Sohm); Benedyczak 6 (79′ Hernani sv). Trainer: Pecchia 6.
Referee: Aureliano (Bologna) 6.
Ammonites: 37′ Osorio, 42′ Diakité, 78′ Bernabè.
Spectators: 21,120 (12,603 season ticket holders, 8,517 tickets sold).
