Messina 2 - Palermo 0
This Sicilian derby is nominally less volatile than the one involving Palermo and Catania, but passions rise – and did – at Messina today. Messina had received the most red cards, ten, before the match started - although that balde would cut the other way today - and came to the clash having won one game in the last 16.
Palermo weren’t in a much better state, having just won one out of the last seven. On the positive side Palermo had never lost this Sicilian derby in Serie A. One name would make a real difference - Riganò proving yet again that a bigger club should perhsps chance their arm on the goalgetting predator.
Palermo looked likely to keep with history and win again, the Rosaneri dominating play and the Messina team with David Di Michele and Mark Bresciano coming close, Fabio Simplicio having his right footed shot from outside the box blocked and Franco Brienza’s shot being saved by Caglioni.
Nevertheless, the first half would paint a different story as despite most chances falling to Palermo, Marco Zanchi hit the right post with a header from the centre of the box following a corner and Salvatore Masiello found his shot saved in the top centre of the goal.
Messina actually took the lead on the verge of half time as Christian Riganò (45 min) headed past Fontana from point-blank range into the top left corner after getting on the business end of an Edgar Alvarez cross.
The first substitution came in the 59th minute as Palermo upped the pressure by bringing lanky striker Andrea Caracciolo on for Mark Bresciano, the Socceroo not having his finest afternoon and ceding his place to the centre-forward as Palermo tried to right the result.
Right was hardly the word as the beanpole pushed his luck too far with a colourful stream of invective aimed at the ref and Andrea Caracciolo was shown the red card for dissent just two minutes after coming on as the supposed Rosaneri solution.
Messina capitalised on Palermo’s discomfort by eroding the rivals to the point that Christian Riganò (65 min) headed in the second from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner, Edgar Alvarez serving the goalgetter with a cross following a fast break.
Christian’s header was saved from being number 3 before a desperate David Di Michele shaved the right upright as Palermo tried to pull something out of the fixture, but it was not to be. Each Rosaneri incursion forward invited a Messina counter-attack and Riganò headed and right-footed two close things wide of the mark.
MESSINA (2): 88 N Caglioni, 13 A Rea, 19 A Parisi, 27 M Zanchi, 32 V Candela, 17 S Masiello, 23 R D'Aversa, 77 L Lavecchia, 21 E Alvarez, 28 I Bakayoko and 9 C Riganò
Subs: 18 S Floccari 10 I Iliev 14 A Giallombardo 4 M Pestrin 33 M Iuliano 11 A Di Napoli 1 G Paoletti
PALERMO (0): 12 A Fontana; 21 G Biava, 26 M Pisano, 43 A Barzagli, 2 C Zaccardo, 23 M Bresciano, 8 A Diana, 90 F Brienza, 30 F Simplicio, 14 R Guana and 17 D Di Michele
Subs: 10 A Caracciolo 18 G Giacomazzi 9 R Matusiak 16 M Cassani 4 G Tedesco 15 P Dellafiore 1 F Agliardi
Goal.com - Serie A Report: Messina Mess Up Palermo In Sicilian Derby