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Phalanx Prophecy: Rating The Transfer Performances Of Serie A Clubs
Zac Lee Rigg rates how the clubs performed in the transfer window before previewing the weekend's upcoming action in the Serie A.
Feb 5, 2010 9:44:00 AM
By Zac Lee Rigg
The January transfer window hardly has a chance to grab an espresso before February kicks it out. Whatever players coaches find when attending the first training in February are the ones they're stuck with until the end of the year.
Frantic, lackluster given tightening financial constraints, and entirely unsatisfying, the transfer window took a massive dive in cash spent compared to last year. The Phalanx Prophecy takes a little look back at how the various clubs in Serie A performed.
Favorable
Internazionale
Thanks to the brash incompetence of Lazio supremo Claudio Lotito (emphasis on the middle syllable) and a generous court decision, Inter picked up THE bargain of the transfer market by signing Goran Pandev for free. The balding Macedonian has proved his worth in a few short games with the club, contributing two goals and providing a much needed creative counterbalance to Wesley Sneijder. Hell, the goal that sealed the Milan derby was worth this year's salary alone.
Jose Mourinho cleared some wiggle room in the wage bill by moving David Suazo, Patrick Vieira, and Mancini along, none of whom could expect more than a handful of minutes with the Nerazzurri. Then, to top it off, Inter landed Parma starlet McDonald Mariga. Assuming the 22-year-old steers clear of his namesake restaurant, his upside is tremendous. While not the ready-made solution some of the other options Inter pursued (Lazio's Cristian Ledesma), Mariga's dirt-cheap price tag and potential make him a solid option.
AS Roma
Luca. Toni.
That's the extent of Roma's first team purchases. Actually, it doesn't count as a purchase because the 32-year-old is on loan from Bayern Munich. But with Toni desperate to earn a plane ticket to South Africa and Roma's desperate need for more offensive punch, the move is all the cash-strapped capital club needed just now.
Stefano Okaka's loan move to Fulham provided the roster space for Toni, who looked more impressive in the two games he played than he has in years.
Lazio
OK, forget the Pandev fiasco. Try to ignore Ledesma's plight. Beyond that, Lazio did quite well this month. Seemingly headed toward relegation, the Rome-based club brought in a spine of valuable contributors who should help float the club to a possible midtable position.
Up front Sergio Floccari, despite starting just three league games since arriving, is tied for top scorer on the team, providing the sort of hitman the squad desperately needed. Thomas Hitzlsperger, a versatile left-footer, will add a little steel and German efficiency to a rather sparse midfield. He also thwacks one hell of a shot. Then on defense, Genoa kindly provided Giuseppe Biava, an imposing 32-year-old who will provide a useful option at the back.
Neutral
AC Milan
Leonardo's switch to a 4-3-3 brought the best out of his starting XI, but left the reserves a tad bare in key areas. In particular, no one in the roster could fill in for Brazilian duo Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato should either miss a match. The loan signings of David Beckham and Mancini gives Leonardo creative options for the wide attacking positions.
Cheap and experienced, Becks and Mancini can do a job. Beyond that, neither fit into the team's long-term plan. After imposing his personality on the club, this transfer window represented the first real opportunity for Leonardo to purchase young talent who represented the stylistic view he has for Milan's future. Instead, he settled for stop-gaps.
Dominic Adiyiah, a 20 year old Ghanaian forward, could form part of the club's future, but currently represents an unknown quantity. All told, January will leave Milan fans shrugging, neither angry or all that excited.
Genoa
Perhaps Gian Piero Gasperini confused quantity of moves for quality. The Genovese club sure made a lot of moves, but most of them were sideways.
Pacy Honduran striker David Suazo came in to replace Floccari. Clever defender Dario Dainelli arrived to ease Biava's move to Lazio. Robert Acquafresca gives a like-for-like replacement for Hernan Crespo.
The grass is always greener, apparently. Though some of these moves may pay off, none suggest that the club will threaten the Champions League places like it did last year.
Parma
The loss of Mariga will hurt, but Parma gave its fans one of its living legends to compensate. Hernan Crespo first made his name with Parma. Since then, the Argentine has excelled at Lazio, Inter, Chelsea, Milan, Inter again, and Genoa. Now back where he began his European adventure, the 34-year-old certainly offers more potency in front of the net than the departing Nicola Amoruso.
Poor
Juventus
The much-maligned board take a double dose of reprimands for this one. Not only did they not bring in anyone capable of turning the club's dismal form around, they dillydallied when it came to firing Ciro Ferrara and hiring a replacement. Without time to forge a team ethos or outline objectives in the market, Alberto Zaccheroni will have to deal with whatever the previous owner left in the garage.
To bolster the squad, the board recalled loanees Michele Paolucci and Iago. The only real addition was midfield handyman Antonio Candreva. None of these players will bring the Old Lady out of the nursing home.
The sale of Tiago to Atletico Madrid also hurt the depth in midfield. All the big questions remain: subpar fullbacks, lack of width, no solid blend of tactical styles among the best players, etc.
Fiorentina
Cesare Prandelli doesn't get much wrong, but this transfer window looks like one of them. Former Udinese defender Felipe has put in a series of rather shocking performances. Jammed straight into the starting lineup, the Brazilian replaced former captain Dainelli. The switch coincided with a poor turn in form for la Viola, as the club desperately misses the leadership and organization of Dainelli, not to mention his grit, with Felipe looking soft.
The rest of Florence's purchases all have potential, actually. The problem is that all will be compared to Adrian Mutu or Antonio Cassano. With Mutu suspended after failing a drug test, a deal with Cassano looked close. That fell through at the last moment, so Fiorentina moved for Keirrison and Adem Ljajic. Both will become good players, but neither offer the instant impact of Mutu or Cassano, two of the best attackers in the league.
In midfield, Argentine Mario Bolatti should help what has looked a weak link with Cristiano Zanetti injured.
In the end, the immediate impact of this window will leave Fiorentina exposed at the back with only prospects in attack.
Udinese
When bigger clubs come a-callin', there's not much team like Udinese can do. Fiorentina took defender Felipe. Juventus negotiated a deal for Udine's half of the rights of Candreva (though he was on loan at Livorno anyways). The only replacement the club could muster was rather ordinary striker Alexandre Greijo.
One point currently separates the Zebrette from the relegation spots. Such a dismal transfer window isn't going to fix that.
Last week: 0/4 (0%)
For the season: 24/41 (59%)
*Knock knock*
“Who's there?”
“It's me, Zac, your ego.”
“What do you want?”
“I'd like to point out that the three teams you predicted would win last week all hit the post in disappointing draws after dominating possession.”
“So? Either the ball goes in or it doesn't. Moral victories still read as goose eggs on the scoreboard.”
“I also wanted to mention that I'm leaving you. For years now, you've been abusive, hindering my personal growth, and I need to focus on some 'Me Time.' I'm also taking your liver. Once you figured out that poisoning her would elicit screams that drown out my nagging, you've been at it every night.”
“Fair enough. Just hand me that bottle of Woodford Reserve before you leave.”
Centurion – Roma @ Fiorentina
2:30 p.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 7
Fox Soccer Channel
La Viola entered the new year with a 5-1 drubbing of Siena. Things looked so bright. Now winless in three in the league, down 1-0 after the first leg of a semifinal Coppa Italia tie with Internazionale, and with talisman Adrian Mutu suspended, Cesare Prandelli has an assortment of ready responses when his friends ask him, “Why so glum?”
Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, has probably estranged all his friends by now for being so damn happy. The midweek win over Udinese in Coppa Italia action marked 18 matches unbeaten for the Romans, good for a three months span without a single loss. Even with Luca Toni injured, the rest of the team spreads the goals around. Against Udine, Philippe Mexes marked his return from injury with a goal. He will continue in central defense with Nicolas Burdisso suspended.
Florence will miss a first-choice defender through suspension as well, with Felipe out. That, combined with Per Kroldrup's injury, mean the one-dimensional Cesare Natali will start. In midfield, the team continues to suffer without Cristiano Zanetti. The lackluster Marco Donadel and new signing Mario Bolatti will vie for the spot next to new captain Riccardo Montolivo.
Key man: Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina) had a rare dip in form last week. The Frenchman's usual standard of play is set on “Why is he not recognized as one of the top handful of goalkeepers in the world?” and he'll need another game like his usual heights against a consistent Roma attack (the team has only scored less than twice in a match once in 2010). With the immobile Natali in front of him, Frey will see a lot more of the ball than he'll want to, and certainly more than he's seen of a razor in recent months.
Prediction: Draw. The 4-1 hammering Florence dished out to Roma earlier this season seems so very very far away.
Optio – Juventus @ Livorno
2:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, Feb. 6
Fox Soccer Channel
Your name is Alberto Zaccheroni. One game into your new job, the one you took to prove you can still hack it as a professional manager, and you've dropped two points against the relatively atrocious Lazio. Your next match coming up is against a team two points above relegation. What do you do?
If your answer was to switch to your preferred 3-4-1-2 formation, then you are both one daring fellow and probably correct. That's the tactical setup Zaccheroni used to win a Scudetto with Milan (and the one which got him fired two years later), and though it looks odd, could fit the ragtag group Juventus has left after injury and suspension have ravaged the roster.
Firstly, the formation should bring the best out of playmaker Diego without sacrificing width or midfield presence. Secondly, Juve's fullbacks are -- how shall I put this delicately? -- horse manure. Might as well just pack the three decent central defenders you have in there anyways.
Livorno, fresh off a pretty impressive point against Milan, will look to continue the giant-tying form against the winless-in-four Old Lady. Two new additions could make contributions: Rubinho in goal and Claudio Bellucci up top.
Key man: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) now has two goals in two games. Sure, it's not the same Alex Del who sparked the imaginations of Italians everywhere. Sure, his pace is gone. Granted, he's still rusty from an injury which robbed him of half the season. But this is still Del Piero gee dee it, and there's enough magic left in those boots of his to decide matches.
Prediction: Draw. Betting on Juventus to win never got nobody nowhere.
Decurion – AC Milan @ Bologna
9:00 a.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 7
Fox Soccer Channel
Here's a statistic for you: In the last three games Guiseppe Favalli has played three and won exactly zero.
So poor Nelson Dida (or Christian Abbiati if the Brazilian is still injured) will breathe a sigh of relief to see Alessandro Nesta line up in front of him. The impenetrable defender hit the training pitch Thursday, bolstering his chances of crushing Bologna strikers' dreams as well as making it to South Africa. Marcello Lippi has practically begged the 32-year-old to return to international duty.
Andrea Pirlo also returned to training, but will likely ride the pine as he continues to gather fitness. And with Alexandre Pato receiving dental treatment, Clarence Seedorf and David Beckham will continue to clatter through the match in midfield midfield.
Bologna go into this one unbeaten in four, riding four goals from captain Marco Di Vaio in those games.
Key man: Clarence Seedorf (Milan) carries a heavy burden when Pirlo misses out, as the Dutchman is expected to perform the deep playmaking duties. Against Livorno last week, freshly back from injury, the 33-year-old didn't look even remotely up to the task. How he performs could determine which way the points go.
Prediction: Milan win. Nesta's back, baby. That means so are the wins.
Legionary – Parma @ Palermo
5:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, Feb. 6
Fox Soccer Channel
Seven games unbeaten slung Palermo to the heady heights fifth before a tough 4-2 loss to Bari last week brought the men in pink back to reality. For all the pluck and verve the team showed to come back from two goals down and tie the scores up, silly mistakes from Fabio Liverani and Cristian Melinte turned the points over. Delio Rossi will be without those two this week, as Liverani is suspended and Melinte won't see the pitch for quite some time -- Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini (jokingly?) told his sporting director to send Melinte to Serie B.
Parma, so recently in fourth and riding high on the tide of good vibes, slipped to the bottom half of the table, thanks mostly to a five game winless streak. In that run, Parma has scored a miserly two goals, prompting the club to sign former Parma legend Hernan Crespo. Despite his advanced years (34), the Argentine continues to poach goals, with five to his name in the first half of the season with Genoa.
Key man: Javier Pastore (Palermo) has matured incredibly since joining the squad this summer. Hitting the gym hard, the Argentine beefed up without losing his suave touch on the ball, as evidenced by his wondergoal last week. Combining a work ethic rarely seen with someone of his playmaking abilities, the 20-year-old is impressively keeping Fabio Simplicio out of the lineup.
Prediction: Palermo win. Even without Cesare Bovo, the Eagles should soar to a win out in this one.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com. Phalanx Prophecy appears, dutifully, every Friday. You should probably read it.
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
Frantic, lackluster given tightening financial constraints, and entirely unsatisfying, the transfer window took a massive dive in cash spent compared to last year. The Phalanx Prophecy takes a little look back at how the various clubs in Serie A performed.
Favorable
Internazionale
Thanks to the brash incompetence of Lazio supremo Claudio Lotito (emphasis on the middle syllable) and a generous court decision, Inter picked up THE bargain of the transfer market by signing Goran Pandev for free. The balding Macedonian has proved his worth in a few short games with the club, contributing two goals and providing a much needed creative counterbalance to Wesley Sneijder. Hell, the goal that sealed the Milan derby was worth this year's salary alone.
Jose Mourinho cleared some wiggle room in the wage bill by moving David Suazo, Patrick Vieira, and Mancini along, none of whom could expect more than a handful of minutes with the Nerazzurri. Then, to top it off, Inter landed Parma starlet McDonald Mariga. Assuming the 22-year-old steers clear of his namesake restaurant, his upside is tremendous. While not the ready-made solution some of the other options Inter pursued (Lazio's Cristian Ledesma), Mariga's dirt-cheap price tag and potential make him a solid option.
AS Roma
Luca. Toni.
That's the extent of Roma's first team purchases. Actually, it doesn't count as a purchase because the 32-year-old is on loan from Bayern Munich. But with Toni desperate to earn a plane ticket to South Africa and Roma's desperate need for more offensive punch, the move is all the cash-strapped capital club needed just now.
Stefano Okaka's loan move to Fulham provided the roster space for Toni, who looked more impressive in the two games he played than he has in years.
Lazio
OK, forget the Pandev fiasco. Try to ignore Ledesma's plight. Beyond that, Lazio did quite well this month. Seemingly headed toward relegation, the Rome-based club brought in a spine of valuable contributors who should help float the club to a possible midtable position.
Up front Sergio Floccari, despite starting just three league games since arriving, is tied for top scorer on the team, providing the sort of hitman the squad desperately needed. Thomas Hitzlsperger, a versatile left-footer, will add a little steel and German efficiency to a rather sparse midfield. He also thwacks one hell of a shot. Then on defense, Genoa kindly provided Giuseppe Biava, an imposing 32-year-old who will provide a useful option at the back.
Neutral
AC Milan
Leonardo's switch to a 4-3-3 brought the best out of his starting XI, but left the reserves a tad bare in key areas. In particular, no one in the roster could fill in for Brazilian duo Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato should either miss a match. The loan signings of David Beckham and Mancini gives Leonardo creative options for the wide attacking positions.
Cheap and experienced, Becks and Mancini can do a job. Beyond that, neither fit into the team's long-term plan. After imposing his personality on the club, this transfer window represented the first real opportunity for Leonardo to purchase young talent who represented the stylistic view he has for Milan's future. Instead, he settled for stop-gaps.
Dominic Adiyiah, a 20 year old Ghanaian forward, could form part of the club's future, but currently represents an unknown quantity. All told, January will leave Milan fans shrugging, neither angry or all that excited.
Genoa
Perhaps Gian Piero Gasperini confused quantity of moves for quality. The Genovese club sure made a lot of moves, but most of them were sideways.
Pacy Honduran striker David Suazo came in to replace Floccari. Clever defender Dario Dainelli arrived to ease Biava's move to Lazio. Robert Acquafresca gives a like-for-like replacement for Hernan Crespo.
The grass is always greener, apparently. Though some of these moves may pay off, none suggest that the club will threaten the Champions League places like it did last year.
Parma
The loss of Mariga will hurt, but Parma gave its fans one of its living legends to compensate. Hernan Crespo first made his name with Parma. Since then, the Argentine has excelled at Lazio, Inter, Chelsea, Milan, Inter again, and Genoa. Now back where he began his European adventure, the 34-year-old certainly offers more potency in front of the net than the departing Nicola Amoruso.
Poor
Juventus
The much-maligned board take a double dose of reprimands for this one. Not only did they not bring in anyone capable of turning the club's dismal form around, they dillydallied when it came to firing Ciro Ferrara and hiring a replacement. Without time to forge a team ethos or outline objectives in the market, Alberto Zaccheroni will have to deal with whatever the previous owner left in the garage.
To bolster the squad, the board recalled loanees Michele Paolucci and Iago. The only real addition was midfield handyman Antonio Candreva. None of these players will bring the Old Lady out of the nursing home.
The sale of Tiago to Atletico Madrid also hurt the depth in midfield. All the big questions remain: subpar fullbacks, lack of width, no solid blend of tactical styles among the best players, etc.
Fiorentina
Cesare Prandelli doesn't get much wrong, but this transfer window looks like one of them. Former Udinese defender Felipe has put in a series of rather shocking performances. Jammed straight into the starting lineup, the Brazilian replaced former captain Dainelli. The switch coincided with a poor turn in form for la Viola, as the club desperately misses the leadership and organization of Dainelli, not to mention his grit, with Felipe looking soft.
The rest of Florence's purchases all have potential, actually. The problem is that all will be compared to Adrian Mutu or Antonio Cassano. With Mutu suspended after failing a drug test, a deal with Cassano looked close. That fell through at the last moment, so Fiorentina moved for Keirrison and Adem Ljajic. Both will become good players, but neither offer the instant impact of Mutu or Cassano, two of the best attackers in the league.
In midfield, Argentine Mario Bolatti should help what has looked a weak link with Cristiano Zanetti injured.
In the end, the immediate impact of this window will leave Fiorentina exposed at the back with only prospects in attack.
Udinese
When bigger clubs come a-callin', there's not much team like Udinese can do. Fiorentina took defender Felipe. Juventus negotiated a deal for Udine's half of the rights of Candreva (though he was on loan at Livorno anyways). The only replacement the club could muster was rather ordinary striker Alexandre Greijo.
One point currently separates the Zebrette from the relegation spots. Such a dismal transfer window isn't going to fix that.
Last week: 0/4 (0%)
For the season: 24/41 (59%)
*Knock knock*
“Who's there?”
“It's me, Zac, your ego.”
“What do you want?”
“I'd like to point out that the three teams you predicted would win last week all hit the post in disappointing draws after dominating possession.”
“So? Either the ball goes in or it doesn't. Moral victories still read as goose eggs on the scoreboard.”
“I also wanted to mention that I'm leaving you. For years now, you've been abusive, hindering my personal growth, and I need to focus on some 'Me Time.' I'm also taking your liver. Once you figured out that poisoning her would elicit screams that drown out my nagging, you've been at it every night.”
“Fair enough. Just hand me that bottle of Woodford Reserve before you leave.”
Centurion – Roma @ Fiorentina
2:30 p.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 7
Fox Soccer Channel
La Viola entered the new year with a 5-1 drubbing of Siena. Things looked so bright. Now winless in three in the league, down 1-0 after the first leg of a semifinal Coppa Italia tie with Internazionale, and with talisman Adrian Mutu suspended, Cesare Prandelli has an assortment of ready responses when his friends ask him, “Why so glum?”
Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, has probably estranged all his friends by now for being so damn happy. The midweek win over Udinese in Coppa Italia action marked 18 matches unbeaten for the Romans, good for a three months span without a single loss. Even with Luca Toni injured, the rest of the team spreads the goals around. Against Udine, Philippe Mexes marked his return from injury with a goal. He will continue in central defense with Nicolas Burdisso suspended.
Florence will miss a first-choice defender through suspension as well, with Felipe out. That, combined with Per Kroldrup's injury, mean the one-dimensional Cesare Natali will start. In midfield, the team continues to suffer without Cristiano Zanetti. The lackluster Marco Donadel and new signing Mario Bolatti will vie for the spot next to new captain Riccardo Montolivo.
Key man: Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina) had a rare dip in form last week. The Frenchman's usual standard of play is set on “Why is he not recognized as one of the top handful of goalkeepers in the world?” and he'll need another game like his usual heights against a consistent Roma attack (the team has only scored less than twice in a match once in 2010). With the immobile Natali in front of him, Frey will see a lot more of the ball than he'll want to, and certainly more than he's seen of a razor in recent months.
Prediction: Draw. The 4-1 hammering Florence dished out to Roma earlier this season seems so very very far away.
Optio – Juventus @ Livorno
2:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, Feb. 6
Fox Soccer Channel
Your name is Alberto Zaccheroni. One game into your new job, the one you took to prove you can still hack it as a professional manager, and you've dropped two points against the relatively atrocious Lazio. Your next match coming up is against a team two points above relegation. What do you do?
If your answer was to switch to your preferred 3-4-1-2 formation, then you are both one daring fellow and probably correct. That's the tactical setup Zaccheroni used to win a Scudetto with Milan (and the one which got him fired two years later), and though it looks odd, could fit the ragtag group Juventus has left after injury and suspension have ravaged the roster.
Firstly, the formation should bring the best out of playmaker Diego without sacrificing width or midfield presence. Secondly, Juve's fullbacks are -- how shall I put this delicately? -- horse manure. Might as well just pack the three decent central defenders you have in there anyways.
Livorno, fresh off a pretty impressive point against Milan, will look to continue the giant-tying form against the winless-in-four Old Lady. Two new additions could make contributions: Rubinho in goal and Claudio Bellucci up top.
Key man: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) now has two goals in two games. Sure, it's not the same Alex Del who sparked the imaginations of Italians everywhere. Sure, his pace is gone. Granted, he's still rusty from an injury which robbed him of half the season. But this is still Del Piero gee dee it, and there's enough magic left in those boots of his to decide matches.
Prediction: Draw. Betting on Juventus to win never got nobody nowhere.
Decurion – AC Milan @ Bologna
9:00 a.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 7
Fox Soccer Channel
Here's a statistic for you: In the last three games Guiseppe Favalli has played three and won exactly zero.
So poor Nelson Dida (or Christian Abbiati if the Brazilian is still injured) will breathe a sigh of relief to see Alessandro Nesta line up in front of him. The impenetrable defender hit the training pitch Thursday, bolstering his chances of crushing Bologna strikers' dreams as well as making it to South Africa. Marcello Lippi has practically begged the 32-year-old to return to international duty.
Andrea Pirlo also returned to training, but will likely ride the pine as he continues to gather fitness. And with Alexandre Pato receiving dental treatment, Clarence Seedorf and David Beckham will continue to clatter through the match in midfield midfield.
Bologna go into this one unbeaten in four, riding four goals from captain Marco Di Vaio in those games.
Key man: Clarence Seedorf (Milan) carries a heavy burden when Pirlo misses out, as the Dutchman is expected to perform the deep playmaking duties. Against Livorno last week, freshly back from injury, the 33-year-old didn't look even remotely up to the task. How he performs could determine which way the points go.
Prediction: Milan win. Nesta's back, baby. That means so are the wins.
Legionary – Parma @ Palermo
5:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, Feb. 6
Fox Soccer Channel
Seven games unbeaten slung Palermo to the heady heights fifth before a tough 4-2 loss to Bari last week brought the men in pink back to reality. For all the pluck and verve the team showed to come back from two goals down and tie the scores up, silly mistakes from Fabio Liverani and Cristian Melinte turned the points over. Delio Rossi will be without those two this week, as Liverani is suspended and Melinte won't see the pitch for quite some time -- Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini (jokingly?) told his sporting director to send Melinte to Serie B.
Parma, so recently in fourth and riding high on the tide of good vibes, slipped to the bottom half of the table, thanks mostly to a five game winless streak. In that run, Parma has scored a miserly two goals, prompting the club to sign former Parma legend Hernan Crespo. Despite his advanced years (34), the Argentine continues to poach goals, with five to his name in the first half of the season with Genoa.
Key man: Javier Pastore (Palermo) has matured incredibly since joining the squad this summer. Hitting the gym hard, the Argentine beefed up without losing his suave touch on the ball, as evidenced by his wondergoal last week. Combining a work ethic rarely seen with someone of his playmaking abilities, the 20-year-old is impressively keeping Fabio Simplicio out of the lineup.
Prediction: Palermo win. Even without Cesare Bovo, the Eagles should soar to a win out in this one.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com. Phalanx Prophecy appears, dutifully, every Friday. You should probably read it.
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
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