An hour of good Palermo showing balance, personality and good quality in dribbling. Calò post, Mancuso crossbar and Buttaro goal. Naive penalty foul by Ceccaroni on Tutino in the second half and an equalizer from the former player.
FIRST HALF – Debut in the external field and second official bench for Michele Mignani at the helm of Palermo. Equals and good signs in his debut at Barbera against Sampdoria, at San Vito in Cosenza the new Rosanero coach seeks confirmation and further progress, after a typical week of work in which he was able to deepen his knowledge of the staff at his disposal. Tough opponent and delicate away game, Calabrians looking for precious points to avoid the playout specter, Palermo dealing with the absences of Lucioni and Di Mariano, both disqualified, in addition to the withdrawals of Ranocchia and Vasic out due to injury. Gomes and Coulibaly are back available. Mignani proposes the elastic 3-4-1-2, confirms Pigliacelli between the posts and launches Buttaro and Henderson from the first minute. The Sicilian team on the pitch with Pigliacelli, Diakitè, Nedelcearu and Ceccaroni making up the back pack, Buttaro and Lund as tall wingers, Gomes and Henderson as interior pairs in the key area, Di Francesco floating between the lines in support of the Brunori-Mancuso offensive tandem. Very careful start to the match on both fronts, great density and attention to the non-possession phase, a quarter of an hour of mere mutual study, without any notable jolts in the last sixteen metres. Palermo who stays short and holds the field with good authority, fluid and linear ball rotation with Henderson in the playmaker version, a couple of combinations and as many interesting crosses from the left-handed track on the Lund-Di Francesco axis. The match heats up about halfway through: Calò draws a deadly parable from twenty-two meters and hits the inside post with Pigliacelli beaten. Palermo responds immediately with a nice flying turn from Di Francesco on a cross from Ceccaroni, the ball just over. Shortly afterwards Canotto tries with his left foot, a slight deviation from Diakité and a conclusion that ends wide. Palermo dribbles with order and tries to verticalize when he can, Diakité rewards Mancuso’s deep attack, a lightning-fast right-footed shot blocked by Camporese’s closure. The former Como player has a great chance to take the lead and equalizes the score from the woodwork: Di Francesco crosses tensely and Mancuso anticipates with the left-footed inside shot at the near post, full crossbar to Micai beaten. Palermo growing in personality and conviction, another thrill for Cosenza with a cross from Henderson to the far post and a flying save from Brunori from the back line not exploited by his teammates. The pink lead was well deserved: Di Francesco triggered Lund’s run with an arched cross and Buttaro’s perfect tap-in at the far post. The first half ends with Mignani’s team having a narrow lead.
SECOND HALF – Palermo who emerges from the locker room tunnel even more lucid, determined and brilliant. A real switch, tactical and mental, which seems to have changed the face of the Rosanero team since Mignani’s arrival on the bench. Authoritativeness, harmony and fluidity in the circulation of the ball, maximum attention and total self-denial of each member in both phases of the game, conviction and trust in the idea of football proposed on the green rectangle. Nothing transcendental, Palermo does simple things, but they do them well, together, strong in their legs, daring in their soul, serene in their head. When the squad appears to be in casual control of the match, an episode occurs that puts Cosenza in clear difficulty back on track. Ceccaroni comes in late on Tutino with his back to goal, the former squad covers the ball and takes a professional penalty. Pigliacelli senses and comes close, but is unable to contain Tutino’s execution from eleven meters which scores the equaliser. Mignani immediately recalls Henderson and Mancuso, last half hour on the pitch for Coulibaly and Soleri. Cosenza revitalized and dangerous on the restart, escape and running diagonal from Canotto which grazes the upright. The squad begins to weave their web again and comes close to gaining a new advantage, Soleri unloads on Di Francesco who rewards Lund’s overlap, a low cross and a tap-in from Soleri who intercepts Meroni’s clearance and almost defeats MIcai. Viali recalls Antonucci and Canotto, in Voca and Mazzocchi. Mignani responds with Aurelio and Segre for Lund and Brunori. Last five minutes also for Insigne who takes over an exhausted Di Francesco. Last changes for Viali, Florenzi in for Zuccon and Forte for Tutino. Low rhythms, confusion and many errors in an ending in which very little happens. The five minutes of injury time granted by Marinelli passed without any kind of jolt. The draw seems to please both teams and the score does not change again until the final whistle.
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