Palermo 3-0 Sampdoria: Palermo Hammer Sorry Sampdoria
Palermo started 2011 with a bang and comfortably beat a sorry Sampdoria side 3-0. Last season this was a head-head game for the Champions league and Sampdoria came up on top. Palermo was missing Mauricio Pinilla and Abel Hernandez was both sidelined. For Sampdoria Antonio Cassano was sold to AC Milan during the Christmas break and to replace him Sampdoria brought in Federico Macheda from Manchester United on loan, but sadly he wasn’t ready. Also Franco Semioli and Fabrizio Cacciatore were both injured.
Palermo got to the better start to the game as both Josip Ilicic and Antonio Nocerino had efforts just go over the bar. Sampdoria then got back into the game as Fernando Tissone had an effort tipped over the bar by Sirigu and then Ziegler then fired just passed the upright. 8 minutes before the interval Palermo opened the scoring having had Javier Pastore to thank when he assisted Fabrizio Miccoli with a wonderful through ball and Miccoli read the pass and finished past Curci in the Sampdoria goal. Miccoli nearly made it 2-0 moments later but his left footed strike skimmed the bar. At the other end Giampaolo Pazzini had a brilliant effort to score but only could hit his half volley into the side netting.
5 minutes into the 2nd half Palermo doubled their lead, as Federico Balzaretti whipped in a beautiful cross for Giulio Migliaccio to power home with a diving header. Josip Ilicic then dazzled Daniele Gastaldello with some delightful footwork only to be denied by Gianluca Curci. Angelo Palombo then wasted a free kick which sailed over the cross bar. In the closing stages of the game Palermo added the icing to the top of the cake by adding a third goal. Massimo Maccarone was the goal scorer as he picked up a through ball and emphatically finished past Curci with an angled drive.
