Palermo came from a goal down to win 2-1 against Verona at the Stadio Renzo Barbera in a tight encounter.
Greek midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis opened the scoring for the away side with a header before Argentine starlet Paulo Dybala equalized with a stunning free kick.
The Rosanero pushed for the winner for the majority of the second half and their effort was rewarded when substitute Andrea Belotti headed home the winner.
Here are our player ratings for the match. Feel free to leve a comment if you disagree with any of them.
Palermo
Stefano Sorrentino – 7 – Calm
Could do nothing about the goal he conceded and made a great save in the 85th minute to keep his team in the lead.
Roberto Vitiello – 5 – Reasonable
Gave his all for the side and pushed up down the right flank to support the attack when possible even if did not actually deliver many crossed from promising positions.
Giancarlo Gonzalez – 6 – Positioning
Was strong in the air both in defense and in attack. Was kept busy dealing with Luca Toni but coped admirably.
Sinisa Andelkovic – 6 – Strong
Made very few mistakes and played with authority. Was booked for a crude challenge on the flank late on though.
Michel Morganella – 6 – Industy
Was eager to push forward in the second half and get his team back on the front foot. Completed his defensive duties reasonably well.
Francesco Bolzoni – 5 – Graft
Tried his best to support the attack down the right hand side but with limited effect. Drifted in and out of the game at times.
Mato Jajalo – 5 – Quiet
Kept the ball ticking over with a number of sideways passes but did not really contribute as Palermo strove for the winning goal.
Edgar Barreto – 7 – Conductor
A key creative influence in midfield. Always looked assured on the ball and tried to play a forward pass to Franco Vazquez and Paulo Dybala.
Achraf Lazaar – 6 – Composed
Was rarely caught out defensively and used the ball well, playing it into midfield well. Pushed forward in a wide position in the second half as the home side looked to secure the three points.
Franco Vazquez – 7 – Technique
Stung the palms of goalkeeper Francesco Benussi in the 70th minute following a strong run and linked up well with Paulo Dybala on occasions. Created the second goal for Andra Belotti with a cross from the left flank.
Paulo Dybala – 8 – Class
Added a few more millions to his transfer value when he scored with an unstoppable free kick. Always posed a threat with his close control and nimble footwork.
Substitutes
Andrea Belotti – 7 – Impact
Showed his poachers instinct by beating his marker at the near post to head home.
Fabio Daprela – N/A
Ivaylo Chochev -N/A
Hellas Verona
Francesco Benussi – 6 – Solid
Dealt with crosses and high balls well and could do nothing about the two goals he conceded.
Rafael Marques – 5 – Battling
Sat deep along with his fellow centre backs in the second half as the away team looked to hold on for a point. A solid performance even if a couple of his clearances were a bit rushed.
Rafael Marquez – 5 – Experienced
Struggled on occasions when dealing with the speedy Palermo forwards but improved as the game developed. His distribution from the back was good however.
Vanglis Moras – 5 – Gritty
Won most things in the air and generally read the game well. Communicated well with his centre backs to deny space for Paulo Dybala and Franco Vasquez before the game began stretched in the final twenty minutes.
Ivan Martic – 5 – Worker
Not really noticeable in the game as he primarily focused on his defensive tasks which he did relatively well with even if he did struggle with the runs of Franco Vasquez at times.
Jacopo Sala – N/A
Came off with an injury early on in the game.
Panagiotis Tachtsidis – 6 -Drive
A steady influence in midfield. Opened the scoring with a header and worked hard but did not really influence the play.
Leandro Greco – 6 – Average
The former Roma man wasn’t afraid to get stuck in and his commitment could not be faulted. Tried to assist Luca Toni with a few dangerous crosses.
Nico Lopez – 5 – Ineffective
The Uruguayan was hardly seen in the game however it must be said it was not entirely his fault as he was starved of service for long periods.
Luca Toni – 6 – Handful
Was left isolated for long periods and hardly had any chance of note but was still held the ball up well when he did have it.
Substitutes
Lazaros Christodoulopoulos – 6 – Desire
Came on early due to an injury to Jacopo Sala and covered a lot of ground as his team were on the back foot for large periods but was unable to create anything when going forward.
Fernandinho – 5 – Subdued
Came on with twenty minutes left but contributed nothing of note.
Javier Saviola – N/A
