Defending champions and current leaders Juventus left the Renzo Barbera on Sunday with 3 points in their pockets after defeating Palermo by a 1-0 scoreline. A result that was not all that surprising given the position of both clubs in the standings, but one that leaves the Rosanero on level points with Pescara for the final relegation spot. An alarming position that must be addressed in the January transfer window, or the Sicilians will run the risk of falling back down to the lower divisions for the first time since 2004.
This match was the halfway point of Palermo’s grueling five game schedule to end the calender year (Catania, INTER, Juventus, UDINESE, Fiorentina) with expectations being relatively low given the strength of the Scudetto holders and Palermo’s uninspired season to date. Despite the derby win against Catania, the Rosanero’s good vibes were quickly cancelled out by a deflating Santiago Garcia own-goal against Inter that left the Sicilians satisfied by their performance, but starving for points.
The first half was a balanced affair as the two clubs traded a few chances, [Alessandro] Matri’s and [Jasmin] Kurtic’s efforts the most notable, but what was a rather tame first half ended scoreless. Much like the match against Inter, Gian Piero Gasperini had his team organized in defence while struggling to find that cutting edge in the attacking third of the pitch.
The second half was a different story. Antonio Conte, coaching his first match of the season after his touchline ban, fired up his troops during the interval and it was noticeable from the first minute. Juventus came out and applied heavy pressure, suffocating Palermo’s possession and keeping them encamped in their own half. The deciding goal came in the 50th minute off a brilliant play by Mirko Vucinic. The Montenegrin received the ball at the top of the penalty area and with his back to the goal, waited for Stephan Lichtsteiner to run in behind the Palermo defence before delivering the Swiss fullback with a backheel pass that left Samir Ujkani with little to do. A moment of brilliance that Vucinic has been known to do, and one that extinguished the Palermo resistance.
A moment of brilliance from MIrko Vucinic allowed Stephan Lichtsteiner to score his 2nd goal of the season and end Palermo’s timid resistance.
Try as they did, the Rosanero failed to mount any sort of response and did not test Gianluigi Buffon’s gloves as Juventus controlled the remainder of the match with relative ease. Gasperini brought on Paulo Dybala and Nicolas Viola in an attempt to generate more attacking play, but that approach was thrown out the window once Michel Morganella picked him his second bookable offence leaving the Sicilians on ten-men for the final fifteen minutes.
The final minutes ticked away with Juventus coming closer to extending their lead (through [Leonardo] Bonucci and Vucinic) and Palermo failing to penetrate the Bianconeri’s backline. A deserved victory for the reigning champions and one that condemned Palermo to their second home defeat of the season after the 0-3 loss to Napoli on the first day of the season. Despite a first half performance that was on par with the Bianconeri, Palermo never gave the impression of being able to win the match. A suffocating second half performance from the Bianconeri made the 1-0 flattering for the Sicilians as they continued with their wretched goal scoring form.
After last week’s deflating loss to Inter, another 1-0 defeat highlighted the frailties of this current Palermo. With only 14 goals scored for the season, the lack of goalscoring is one of the more pressing concerns for Pietro Lo Monaco as January approaches. Although Fabrizio Miccoli returned for the match against the Bianconeri, it isn’t fair to think that a 33-year-old can always save the team when things aren’t going according to plan. Il Pibe di Nardò is down on the list of players that can be blamed for Palermo’s current predicament as he has accounted for over a third of the team’s goals. Dybala and Ilicic have contributed goals in short spurts, but more is needed if the club want to avoid relegation.
With two matches remaining in 2012, there is nothing left for Gasperini and his players to do but to continue on the path they have travelled since the coach’s arrival. While that sounds unfathomable given the club’s current position, it is the only thing that can be done. Maurizio Zamparini and Lo Monaco have both stated that new players will be brought in to help lift the overall quality at the club. That news is an admission that the current squad are simply not good enough to lift the club to the levels it has achieved in previous seasons. If Palermo were somehow able to get some points before the winter break, it would be the perfect way to cap off a disappointing 2012 and hopefully welcome in a much rosier 2013.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
