Today’s edition of “Il Giornale di Sicilia” focuses on Palermo’s second halves without any joy left.
Palermo’s problem of not being able to maintain concentration and effectiveness in the second half of matches has been a recurring and worrying theme both in the last season and in the current one. This difficulty also emerged clearly after the arrival of Mignani, who has yet to see his team score in the second half in key matches. Despite a promising start, with goals scored in the first halves of matches against teams such as Sampdoria and Cosenza, second-half performance remained a weak point.
This trend has left Palermo vulnerable to opposing comebacks, a problem already painfully experienced last season, when the team lost access to the playoffs. Although Palermo currently seems to have a safe margin for qualifying for the play-offs, the continued poor performance in the second halves offers no guarantees for future success, especially in the playoffs where any mistake can be fatal.
With only four matches remaining in the championship, Mignani must urgently address the problem. As well as trying to secure the victories that would cement Palermo’s place in the playoffs, it is essential that the team shows an improved ability to maintain control of matches for full 90 minutes. Any improvements in the defensive phase, although important, must be accompanied by greater offensive effectiveness in the second half.
For Palermo, the risk is that, without significant change, even if the team advances into the playoffs as top seed, it may not be adequately equipped to overcome subsequent challenges. The team, therefore, must use these final matches to develop the resistance and determination necessary to compete effectively for promotion to Serie A.
