After two months, Palermo regained victory in the championship and beat Sudtirol 1-0 in Bolzano, closing the regular season in 6th place. Salim Diakité’s goal in the second half decided the match. The Rosanero team had been missing a full result since March 10th, the day of the 1-0 victory on the Lecco pitch. First success on the Palermo bench for Michele Mignani. Next Friday in the first round of the playoffs the Rosanero will face Sampdoria at Barbera at 8.30pm.
Mignani surprises his team with a 3-4-3 with Graves, Lucioni and Nedelcearu in defense in front of goalkeeper Desplanches; in midfield in the middle there are Segre and Ranocchia with Diakité and Lund on the wings; in attack Brunori in the middle with Insigne on the right and Di Francesco on the left. Palermo keeps possession of the ball and turns the ball from right to left even with a certain speed, but without being able to find space. An initiative by Brunori on the left leads to a free kick which Ranocchia takes without however managing to obtain anything more than a corner kick. Ranocchia also scored a long-range shot after half an hour which Sudtirol goalkeeper Drago rejected.
In the second half the tactical theme of the match does not change, few shots on goal are seen until the 19th minute when following a corner kick from the left Diakité in the heart of the penalty area takes advantage of a rebound with Segre and shoots on goal giving the rosanero the lead. Diakité himself could double the lead with a header again from a corner kick from the left, but Sudtirol goalkeeper Drago blocks the ball and thwarts the threat. Palermo controls the home team’s plays and often makes a mistake in choosing plays on the counterattack such as when Brunori alone tries the lob without serving Di Francesco only in the center of the area. Not closing out the game, however, this time doesn’t cost the Rosanero dearly as they take home the three points.
The last day of Serie B exalts Como, who celebrate their direct promotion to Serie A together with Parma, already certain of their supremacy and return to the top championship. The Larians needed only one point against Cosenza to defend second place if Venezia, two points behind, had not won at La Spezia. The lagoon players lost and will do so in the playoffs, together with Cremonese, Catanzaro, Palermo, Sampdoria and Brescia, who finished in this order.
In the first round of the playoffs, the sixth and seventh teams (Palermo and Sampdoria) will compete against each other, while the eighth team, Brescia, will face the fifth team, Catanzaro. At the end, nothing has changed for the two teams already certain of finishing in Serie C, Lecco and FeralpiSalò, but the last day condemned Ascoli to direct relegation, despite the victory over Pisa. Ternana and Bari will play the playouts to decide the last of the four teams destined to leave the cadet series.
SOUTH TYROL-PALERMO 0-1
SOUTH TYROL (3-4-1-2): Dragon; Kofler (29′ st Vinetot), Masiello (38′ st Rauti), Cagnano; Molina, Peeters (15′ st Cisco), Arrigoni, Davi; Mallamo (29′ st Casiraghi); Merkaj, Odogwu (15′ st Lonardi). On the bench: Poluzzi, Bonifacio, Giorgini, Davi, Broh, Ciervo, Rover, Pecorino. Coach: Valente.
PALERMO (3-5-2): Desplanches; Graves, Lucioni, Nedelcearu; Diakitè, Ranocchia, Segre, Di Francesco (45′ st Mancuso), Lund; Insigne (44′ st Henderson), Brunori (34′ st Soleri). On the bench: Kanuric, Pigliacelli, Stulac, Marconi, Buttaro, Henderson, Traorè. Coach: Mignani.
REFEREE: Ferrieri Caputi of Livorno.
NET: 19′ st Diakité.
NOTE: spectators: 5,221, including 599 Palermo supporters. Expelled: 41′ st Davi for dangerous play. Booked: Kofler, Vinetot, Merkaj, Nadelcearu, Soleri and Lucioni. Corners: 8-2 for Palermo. Recovery time: 2′; 5.
PLAYOFFS
Preliminary round
17 May – 8.30pm PALERMO-SAMPDORIA
May 18th – 8.30pm CATANZARO-BRESCIA
Semifinals
First legs on 20 and 21 May – 8.30 pm
Return matches on 24 and 25 May – 8.30 pm
VENICE against PALERMO-SAMPDORIA winner (with second home match)
CREMONESE against CATANZARO-BRESCIA winner (with second match at home)
The final
First leg on May 30th – 8.30pm
Return on June 2nd – 8.30pm
PLAYOUT
16 May – 8.30pm BARI-TERNANA
May 23rd – 8.30pm TERNANA-BARI
