Palermo - Roma
Stadio Barbera


Focus for Palermo and Roma going into their weekend clash falls on the frontmen after the events of the past seven days.

Against Cesena, Fabrizio Miccoli netted his first goal since returning from a six-month injury lay-off and took midweek to speak of his growing trust in Delio Rossi’s Christmas tree formation, deploying Javier Pastore and Josip Ilicic behind him.

Miccoli had earlier in the season stated his reservations of fitting into the system but spoke glowingly of the number of growing opportunities and the link-play between the trio.

Miccoli’s return is timely with both Abel Hernandez and Mauricio Pinilla struggling. The duo sat out training in the first half of the week to recover from respective injuries alongside defender Matteo Darmian and all three will miss Sunday evening’s clash.

However, Fabio Liverani returned to training after almost two months out with injury. The midfielder is expected to start from the bench as the club look to stagger his comeback.

Roma are one of the League’s in-form sides and know a victory could see them back in the title race.

David Pizarro and Francesco Totti only had substitute roles midweek against Bayern and are likely to start at the weekend, Pizarro continuing on his return from a hamstring injury that caught the medical staff off-guard, causing more problems than anticipated.

Claudio Ranieri is without the injured Stefano Okaka, Rodrigo Taddei and Simone Perrotta still, whilst Nicolas Burdisso is suspended, with Juan coming back into the side.

After the Bayern turnaround, Totti advocated a switch to a 4-2-3-1 system to utilise the attacking potential of the team. Indeed the midweek game was emblematic of their season to date – a timid start being followed by an impressive recovery.

However, with only Jeremy Menez of the frontmen shown in recent games to track back, four men in attack could leave the Giallorossi light in defence and vulnerable to counters. It is unlikely to be seen at the weekend.

Keep an eye on: Josip Ilicic (Palermo) – Overshadowed by Javier Pastore’s start to the season, Ilicic’s introduction to Serie A was more immediate and makes his return of five goals and consistent performances alongside Pastore all the more impressive. Displaying a nice touch on the ball, Ilicic is more powerful than Pastore and just as interesting to watch.

Last five in Serie A: Palermo (L W L W W) Roma (W W W D W)

Last season: Palermo 3-3 Roma

Top tip: With creative points across both front-lines, the game could be an entertaining affair. However, an early goal for Palermo is key to unnerving a Roma side that has only scored five times on the road this season.

Stat fact: From 13 League games this season, Roma have gone in at half-time seven times on level times, compared with Palermo’s two.
Palermo (probable): Sirigu; Cassani, Munoz, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Bacinovic, Nocerino; Ilicic, Pastore; Miccoli

Roma (probable): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Mexes, Juan, Riise; Simplicio, Pizarro, De Rossi; Menez; Totti, Borriello

Ref: Brighi

Football Italia

This game is always a high scoring one with lots and lots of entertaining stuff.

It's going to be hard to win this one but you never know after that Bayern win, anything's possible. With that being said, I'm afraid the Bayern game took a lot of effort out of the players. They are very tired.

I hope we can nick this one,

Prediction: Palermo 2-3 Roma

Vucinic will miss this game because of a sprained ankle

Also Adriano, Greco, Taddei, Perrotta and Okaka are all out.

We won't have any real options on the bench, we have to control this game from start to finish because there is no plan B.

Don't worry, they won't play as well as they always do against Juve, if you catch them on an average day you'll win. Inter were the only other winners this weekend, so Roma need to win.

i thought you would want Roma to lose

Imo Palermo will pull everything they got to get a win here, they will definitely want to capitalize after all the top teams, bar Inter, dropped points. But so will Roma, it will be an entertaining game.

46 Sirigu, 16 Cassani, 6 Munoz, 5 Bovo, 42 Balzaretti, 8 Migliaccio, 21 Bacinovic, 23 Nocerino, 27 Pastore, 72 Ilicic, 10 Miccoli

Palermo bench: 99 Benussi, 29 Garcia, 3 Goian, 4 Kasami, 11 Liverani, 32 Maccarone, 52 Pinilla




27 Julio Sergio; 77 Cassetti, 5 Mexes, 4 Juan, 17 Riise; 30 Simplicio, 7 Pizarro, 16 De Rossi; 94 Menez; 10 Totti, 9 Borriello

Roma bench: 1 Lobont, 25 G. Burdisso, 2 Cicinho, 3 Castellini, 33 Brighi, 87 Rosi, 19 Baptista

i've been really impressed with Ranieri's choices lately by not playing defensively even when facing strong opposition away from home.

It's also proving to be the right method as we're doing great at the moment **touch wood**

Game starts in 20 minutes.

Got one eye on this not a great deal happening yet.

Palermo scored I went to the toilet and missed the goal

HT Cant say I'm too impressed Not exactly Juve Fiorentina.

Good goal it was for Palermo well finished though defending could have been better.

bloody Palermo got 2 shots and scored 1 of them. They have been dangerous on the counter but f**k all to offer apart from that goal. Riise was at fault leaving Micoli behind him.

Riise and Cassetti have been shocking so far. Nothing to offer on the offense and very lenient in defense especially Riise. I'm tired of his shots, a good shot from him these days are always directed in the center of the goal and when he misses which is 98% of the time, it goes to a throw in.

I would change Cassetti for Cicinho, he can help us in the offense.

We haven't been doing badly at all but missing loads of shots and what the hell is going on with the missed passes. The goal we conceded was from an incredible miscontrol from Pizarro, the ball went through his legs when he was starring at it and the ball was moving at 2 km/h ffs.

We'll need Borriello to score out of nowhere like he always does or Menez to square a pass in the box and someone to capitalize on it.

oh and Simplicio is undoubtedly the most useless player in the box in Serie A.

Second half will surely bring more action than the first, We'll have to go all in to get a win here.

Damn, missed the 2nd half just got back to see Totti's goal make it 3-1 Big win for Palermo, but Roma must have been really poor in the 2nd half to concede so many.

Palermo are good this year stretch, just that they don't always do it against the smaller teams, they have some fantastic players. Obviously they took Roma seriously, good win for them.

fucking shocking performance in the second half, this wasn't even a performance, it was players just being there for 45 minutes doing absolutely nothing right.

believe it or not, there was at best 2 passes put together in this second half, absolutely ridiculous.

Borriello didn't even touch the ball in this half.

I wont start naming every player in the team because every one of them was a liability today.

Yes we have a lot of injuries but this team, as usual, does not show up when it matters the most. It's as simple.