Milan falls to Palermo and is now in danger of ceding the third and final automatic CL spot to either Sampdoria or Palermo. The younger and hungrier Rosanero over ran the Rossoneri. Palermo’s rivals for the fourth spot bested Milan last weekend. This Milan team is a pale shadow of a team that once boasted Maldini, Tassotti, Baresi, and Costacurta to stop the opposition from scoring.
They have won just three in their last 10 games, with four draws, and three losses. And the coaching job looks unsettled with Leonardo threatening to move back to Brazil for personal reasons.
Palermo might be the surprise fourth placed team and in line for a CL appearance. Their future lies bright and if they can hold onto players like Javier Pastore, slowly making a believer out of Diego Maradona and Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani, then Delia Rossi may have a template for continued upper echelon representation.
With Fabrizio Miccoli, the trio forms the fulcrum of Palermo’s attack. Miccoli at 30 years old, is having a season of a lifetime, third on the Serie top scorer list with 16 goals. None sweeter than the one against Milan. Will he make Marcelo Lippi’s 30 man roster? I hope he does. Because no other Italian striker looks so inspirational.
Palermo also boast hardman Antonio Nocerino, who has been compared to Gennaro Gattuso and Daniele De Rossi, a future Azzurri goalie in Salvatore Sirigu, and Abel Hernandez, the 20 year old Uruguayan striker who has scored 6 goals in his last 14 appearances since arriving from Penarol.