Milan: Relegation-threatened Palermo were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home with Bologna in Serie A on Sunday after a goalkeeping error.
Two straight wins had given Palermo hope of escaping the drop, and it made the perfect start when Josip Ilicic fired into the net following a one-two with Fabrizio Miccoli.
However, Bologna leveled following a moment of madness from Palermo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino. Sorrentino went to collect Michel Morganella's backpass but appeared to only then remember he could not touch it with his hands. The ball rolled under his body, allowing Manolo Gabbiadini to round Sorrentino and slot into an empty net.
Palermo almost restored their lead three minutes from halftime when Miccoli curled a right-footed shot that hit the post. The Sicilian side is two points from safety, level with Genoa which drew a derby match 1-1 against 10-man Sampdoria.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan's slim hopes of snatching a Champions League spot are all but over after it lost 2-0 to Cagliari. They have been leapfrogged by Roma, who beat Torino 2-1. Eder gave Sampdoria the lead in the Derby della Lanterna with an inventive free kick, drilling his effort below the wall as it jumped and into the bottom left corner.
The match changed 12 minutes from time when Andrea Costa received a second booking for a tackle on Antonio Floro Flores and was dismissed. Mantuzalem leveled just two minutes later with a stunning strike that flew into the top left corner.
Sampdoria is nine points off the drop zone. Inter remained provisionally eight points below third-placed AC Milan - which plays Napoli later - after it lost in Trieste, where Cagliari is playing after abandoning its troubled Is Arenas stadium.
Cagliari took the lead in the 63rd minute after it was awarded a dubious penalty when Matias Silvestre was adjudged to have fouled Mauricio Pinilla. The striker converted and doubled his tally 13 minutes later following a one-two with Matias Cabrera.
Esteban Cambiasso hit the post for Inter with a delicate chip in the 14th minute. Cagliari's Victor Ibarbo struck the crossbar five minutes from time.
It is Inter's fourth loss in five games and leaves it a point behind Roma. Pablo Daniel Osvaldo headed the capital side in front from a tight angle in the 22nd minute.
Alessio Cerci almost equalized five minutes later but his free kick crashed off the post. However, Torino was level shortly afterwards when Rolando Bianchi beat Nicolas Burdissimo to Alessio Cerci's cross and fired it in from close range.
Torino went close to taking the lead in the 58th but Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg did brilliantly to tip Cerci's free kick onto the bar. Roma scored what was to prove the winner two minutes later as Erik Lamela curled a stunning strike into the top left corner from just outside the area.
They were forced to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men after Federico Balzaretti was sent off following a second booking.
Elsewhere, Udinese cruised to a 3-0 victory at Parma. Luis Muriel scored a first-half brace and Roberto Pereyra sealed the result in the 63rd minute. Chievo Verona drew 0-0 at home to Catania.
Comments
0 comment