Palermo Wins Again and Remains Perfect; Sampdoria in Trouble
Palermo reclaims sole possession of first place in Serie B, while Sampdoria remains in trouble—and things are only getting worse. Monday’s big match, which wraps up the third round of Serie B play, saw the Rosanero secure a crucial 3-1 victory, bringing their total to 9 points—a perfect record—and putting them 2 points ahead of their closest pursuers, Mantova, Ascoli, and Südtirol. The Blucerchiati, meanwhile, remain stuck on 1 point; after drawing in their season opener on the road against Cesena, they also lost at home to Juve Stabia.
Palermo started the match as well as they possibly could, weathering the visitors’ early attacks before taking the lead in the 9th minute: Augello made a run down the left and crossed to Strefezza, whose volley caught the entire Blucerchiati defense off guard—and especially the far-from-perfect Vindhal. The goal scorer himself had to leave the game due to injury just past the 20-minute mark, but the team didn’t let that setback get to them. In the 33rd minute, the ever-reliable Pohjanpalo doubled the lead, once again capitalizing on a collective lapse by Sampdoria. In the second half, Insigne cut the deficit in half at the 64-minute mark, but in stoppage time, Palumbo sealed the deal by scoring again for the league leaders.
Tonight’s victory further solidifies an extraordinary start to the season for Filippo Inzaghi’s Palermo. The Rosanero had already impressed in the first two league matchdays with victories over Juve Stabia and on the road against Arezzo, and they had also stood out in the Coppa Italia: first a 2-0 win over Serie A’s Lecce in the round of 32, then a decisive 5-2 victory over Mantova in the round of 16, with Pohjanpalo playing a starring role. Game after game, the Finnish striker continues to prove himself as the offensive linchpin around whom Inzaghi builds his team’s play, and tonight’s goal is yet another demonstration of that.
In goal, Mattia Perin rose to the occasion on a night when his net was breached only by an Insigne in top form. The goalkeeper from Ciociaria, who arrived at Palermo after leaving Juventus for good, represents one of the most talked-about transfer deals of the summer: his move to Serie B set a historic precedent, depriving Serie A of the last Italian player to have taken part in a World Cup, given that the Azzurri have not participated in the World Cup since the 2014 edition in Brazil. The only player left to fly the flag for the national team’s veterans in the Italian league is now Lorenzo Insigne, who—playing for Sampdoria and having scored a goal tonight—remains the last representative of that generation still active in Italian professional soccer, albeit in the second division.
In the standings, Mantova—held to a draw by Cesena on Sunday afternoon thanks to Shpendi’s goal, which canceled out Ruocco’s opener—pays the price for failing to win and now finds itself two points behind the Rosanero. A wasted opportunity for the Virgiliani, who had nevertheless proven they could compete with anyone, as evidenced by their sensational elimination of Lazio at the Olimpico in the Coppa Italia. Ascoli and Südtirol, victorious over Benevento and Catanzaro, respectively, in Saturday’s league matches, are now also chasing Palermo with 7 points each.
