Palermo

Palermo set to unveil Guidolin

2006-05-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Palermo are reportedly set to unveil Francesco Guidolin as their new coach.
The Serie A side are looking to build on an encouraging season and are believed to be closing in on the Monaco coach.
Guidolin is widely expected to be replaced in the Principality this summer and would therefore be free to take over from Giuseppe Papadopulo at Palermo.
"Guidolin back to Palermo? I think yes," president Maurizio Zamparini told the Italian press.
Papadopulo is contracted to the club for another year, and admitted that he was surprised to hear the rumours.
"The president and I are continuing to talk in a normal way," he insisted.
"I feel in an absurd situation and I think that if a new manager was announced, it would surprise a lot of people.
"But I honestly don't know what to think. If I am let go it would be a really bad professional blow for me."
Meanwhile, Palermo have brought Ascoli midfielder Roberto Guana and out-of-contract goalkeeper in to strengthen their ranks.
25-year-old Guana was a key player for Ascoli last season and will add depth to their squad.
Fontana joins on a free transfer following his release from Chievo at the end of the season.
Fabio Grosso is expected to be sold to Internazionale within the next few days though.
"We met with Palermo and are really close to agreeing a deal for Grosso," confirmed Nerazzurri technical director Marco Branca.

Toni uncertain over future

2006-05-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

Italian League top scorer Luca Toni said he is not sure of staying at Fiorentina next season, opening the door wide to speculations that he may be on his way to Inter Milan.
"There are few problems between me and the club at the moment," Toni told Football Italia magazine on Monday.
Toni had a marvelous first-season at Florence, scoring a record of 31 goals and leading Fiorentina to secure a UEFA Champions League place next season.
Inter reportedly target the 29-year-old forward and they are waiting for the results of his talks with the Viola president.
"The president and I have started to talk, but there are few things which we don't agree on right now," Toni said.
"However I can promise the fans that they'll be the first to know how things go as I have nothing to hide.
"The former Palermo striker, who will be leading Italy's attacking force in the World Cup, said that he's concentrating on his training with the national team at the moment.
"We all just want to prepare as best as we can for the World Cup, then I'll discuss things with my club," Toni said.

Italian Championship Stats

2006-05-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

A 2-0 win over Reggina has given Juventus its 29th Scudetto, yet the club faces an anxious wait to see whether it will retain this and last season's title, as corruption allegations rock Italian football.
With Reggina's (15th) home ground suspended due to crowd problems, the title decider was played at Bari's Stadio Granillo, with Juventus professionally defeating its semi-hosts through goals to David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero.
Trezeguet nodded in during the 22nd minute after Reggina's defence failed to clear, while Del Piero added an injury time goal to complete the win and temporarily secure the Serie A title.Yet, with tapes released to the media of senior director Luciano Moggi apparently organising referee schedules during last season, a major police sporting corruption investigation could see Juve stripped of its last two titles or even relegated.
Second-placed AC Milan, which defeated Roma (fifth) 2-1 through goals to Kaka and Marcio Amoroso, could therefore be awarded the last two titles, yet the Rossoneri are themselves implicated in the investigation along with Fiorentina and Lazio.
Internazionale (third) had to settle for a final day 2-2 draw with Calgliari (16th), Sardinian goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti denying Inter substitute Ilario Aloe with his feet in the final minute.Luca Toni became the first player in 47 years to score 30 Serie A goals when he opened proceedings in Fiorentina's (fourth) 2-0 win over Chievo (seventh).Tomasso Rocchi's goal was enough for Lazio (sixth) to defeat Parma (tenth) 1-0, while Palermo (eighth) outdid Messina (18th) in the Sicily derby.Livorno (ninth) and Siena (17th) ended 0-0 while Igor Budan's late double gave Ascoli (12th) a 2-1 win over Empoli (11th), with Treviso (last) defeating Udinese (13th) 2-1 as Sampdoria (14th) went down to Lecce (19th) 3-1 with Haouiliais Konan scoring a double.

Juventus 2-1 Palermo

2006-05-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

Juventus must wait until the final day of the season to try and secure the Serie A title with Sunday's win over Palermo not enough to see off the challenge of AC Milan, who won at Parma.
Juve remain three points clear of Milan with one game remaining, but the Rossoneri's better head-to-head record mean there is still all to play for next week.
Juve's fans had hoped to seal the deal on home soil and Pavel Nedved raised the first cheer of the day with a 32nd minute opener before Zlatan Ibrahimovic doubled the lead six minutes into the second half.
News of an equaliser for Parma then increased the volume, but Milan soon re-took the lead, and Denis Godeas got Palermo back in the game to quieten the crowd who did not seem to be unduly perturbed by the publication of embarrassing stories in the media this week centred around transcripts of telephone calls between Juventus senior director Luciano Moggi and other figures in the football world.
Palermo had set out to win this one, and the Sicilians were claiming a penalty in the fifth minute when Godeas appeared to be impeded by Fabio Cannavaro as both stretched to reach Mariano Gonzalez's cross.
Moments later, the officials played a big hand again, ruling out David Trezeguet's 10th minute strike for offside.
The guests kept up the pressure and had further chances to go ahead through Massimo Mutarelli and Gonzalez, but neither could beat Gianluigi Buffon in the Juve goal.
Nedved tried his luck from 20 yards, but while he failed from distance, he made no mistake from closer range to put Juve ahead in the 32nd minute.
Mauro Camoranesi and David Trezeguet both tried to dribble the ball in, but Nedved chose the more direct route when he received Simone Barone's clearance 10 yards from goal.
Palermo were almost level just two minutes later.
Buffon's clearance fell to Kewullay Conteh on the corner of the 18-yard box and his shot through a crowded penalty area was deflected behind for a corner by Buffon's foot.
Godeas then had another appeal for a penalty turned down as he once again fell under the challenge of Cannavaro.
Juve then finished the first half with another chance from Nedved which the Czech Republic international curled just wide of the far post after a good turn inside the area.
An excellent piece of team play between Ibrahimovic, Trezeguet and Nedved set up the latter for the first chance of the second half with his shot missing the far post by inches.
Ibrahimovic made no mistake minutes later as he doubled Juve's advantage.
Camoranesi spotted the Swede's run forward and threaded the ball invitingly in front of him, leaving just Federico Agliardi to beat, and Ibrahimovic slotted his shot through the Palermo goalkeeper's legs for his first goal since February.
There was an even bigger cheer from the Juve fans when Parma pulled one back against Milan, but some false information minutes later had the Juve fans cheering as if the title was theirs, only for the truth to be revealed that Milan had gone 3-1 up.
The Delle Alpi fell silent when Godeas fired Palermo back into the game in the 62nd minute.
The 31-year-old striker's second goal of the season came from nothing as he fired unstoppably across Buffon into the roof of the net from an angle.
Palermo boss Giuseppe Papadopulo decided to take a risk with 15 minutes remaining, replacing midfielder Gonzalez with striker Stephen Makinwa.
The result was more nervous moments for the Juve fans, particularly when Makinwa fired across goal with Buffon out of his goal with just over 10 minutes remaining.
It was backs to the wall time for Juve, but they held on and need just a point from their final game against Reggina to win the title.

Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-05-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.
Bet the Board @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook - Click here to view live odds

Palermo 1-0 Fiorentina

2006-05-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Palermo put a huge dent in visiting Fiorentina's Champions League Tournament hopes after recording a hard-earned 1-0 win at the Renzo Barbera.
David Di Michele scored the crucial goal seven minutes into the second period, handing his side their first victory in five and potentially kick-starting a late push for UEFA Cup championship qualification.
For their part, Fiorentina will be extremely disappointed with the defeat after a dominant first-half display, although their cushion above fifth-place Roma has only been cut by one point after Luciano Spalletti's men were held to a draw in a 4-4 thriller with Chievo.
Fiorentina looked bright from the outset and applied some early pressure on the hosts' defence, although Palermo quickly got to grips with their opponents and established a foothold in the game.
The first chance of the game fell to Fiorentina on seven minutes, when Stefano Fiore 's foray down the left wing created a great scoring opportunity that was squandered by Luis Jimenez.
After 21 minutes the visitors again poured forward, this time in a three-on-two counter-attack, but Jimenez was again guilty of poor play, failing to latch onto a pass when clean through on Federico Agliardi's goal.
And Fiorentina again came close just before the half-hour mark, this time Tomas Ujfalusi carving out the shooting chance, but he was off target from 18 yards.
Three minutes later, the Champions League hopefuls were at it again, the lively Fiore once more troubling the Palermo defence with a surge into the box that presented Luca Toni with a shooting chance that was deflected clear by Kewullay Conteh.
The best chance of the half came in injury time, and again it was Fiorentina making all the running.
On this occasion Martin Jorgensen was the architect, crossing perfectly for Toni to meet with his head, but the striker was unlucky to see his effort cannon off the crossbar.
After a lacklustre first half, Palermo looked a little brighter in the second period and immediately set about their task with greater purpose.
And the change in attitude ultimately led to the hosts making the breakthrough after 52 minutes when Di Michele found the net with a sweet strike after a good run and pass by Franco Brienza.
Di Michele might have doubled the lead just three minutes later, but Fiorentina keeper Bogdan Lobont made a smart save.
Fiorentina continued to push, however, and Per Kroldrup was unlucky to see his header from a corner sail wide of the target while Fiore's effort moments later flew high over the bar.
Substitute Valeri Bojinov and the disappointing Jimenez both had chances for an increasingly frustrated Fiorentina as the clock ticked down, but Palermo's defence stood strong and the hosts held on to claim three points they barely deserved.

2006 UEFA CUP Tournament - Soccer

2006-04-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

The UEFA Cup is handed over to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, and in preparation for hosting this season's final, golden memories of 1978 will come flooding back.
It was on 9 May 1978 that local side PSV Eindhoven established themselves as a major force in European football as they beat SC Bastia 3-0 at the Philips stadium - the venue for this season's final - to win the UEFA Cup, following a goalless draw in the first leg in Corsica two weeks earlier.
By that time, PSV had already broken the cast-iron grip that the big clubs from the west of the Netherlands - Feyenoord and AFC Ajax - held on the Dutch title by winning the Eredivisie in 1974/75 and 1975/76, but in taking the UEFA Cup, they announced their presence to the whole continent.
With the final being contested over two legs in those days, PSV had not enjoyed an easy time in the opening fixture against Bastia. Heavy rainfall turned the first leg into a boring show. But the second leg, however, was much more one-sided, and with the elements no longer blocking their route to goal, PSV shone with Willy van de Kerkhof, Gerrie Deijkers and Willy van der Kuylen finding the target as they secured a famous victory in front of 27,000 fans.
With Feyenoord and Ajax both having won major European competitions in the early 1970s, PSV were the third Dutch club to triumph in UEFA competition, and added to their trophy cabinet by winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88 before reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004/05.
The memories of that first success back in 1978 will be celebrated as 2004/05 UEFA Cup, against all the Sportsbooks odds. Winners of last year’s cup PFC CSKA Moskva hand the trophy to Eindhoven, with goal scorers Van de Kerkhof and Van der Kuylen in attendance. Sadly Deijkers died of heart failure at the age of 56 back in October 2003.
Deijkers' story was an odd one. He had played as a defender in previous seasons but coach Kees Rijvers - who will also be at the handover - decided to hand him a chance to become a striker as PSV were having attacking problems in 1977/78. He went on to score 18 league goals and six in the UEFA Cup that season. While Deijkers will be missed at the ceremony at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven, plenty of other PSV stars of 1978 will be there to make up the numbers. Among them will be Willy's twin brother René van de Kerkhof, Jan Poortvliet, Adri van Kraay and Kees Krijgh all eager to get their hands on the trophy again.

LUCARELLI HAT-TRICK SINKS PALERMO

2006-04-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Livorno have an outside chance of playing European football next season after a Cristiano Lucarelli hat-track earned a 3-1 triumph in Tuscany over Palermo.
The Leghorn club were among the leading five teams for part of the season but fell away the past two months.
Lucarelli scored twice in the first half - once from the spot - and then early in the second half with Giovanni Tedesco scored in injury time for the visitors.
Livorno are now just five points behind Chievo, who occupy the last UEFA Cup championship place in Serie A while Palermo are mid-table with no chance of European football or relegation.
Lucarelli is a prolific striker, and his goals have taken his season tally to 19.
The hosts took an early lead when Palermo defender Paul Codrea brought Raffaele Palladino down inside Rosanero penalty area and referee Paolo Bertini awarded a penalty.
Lucarelli scored and the Amaranto led for the remainder of the game.
Just past the quarter-hour mark, Palermo midfielder Franco Brienza had a chance to bring his side level but he lifted a shot from 10 yards over the bar.
Rosaneri defender Andrea Barzagli drilled a shot from 30 yards that was on target and looked to be going in but Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia made a magnificent diving save and deflected the ball out for a corner.
Livorno threatened on a counter-attack but Lucarelli headed David Balleri's right cross out.
Palermo were pushing forward and looking for their first goal.

Palermo have dismissed axing boss Giuseppe Papadopulo - Soccer

2006-04-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Palermo have dismissed suggestions that they are considering axing boss Giuseppe Papadopulo ahead of the new campaign. Although Papa only signed a contract extension at the Stadio Renzo Barbera until June 2007 earlier this month, reports had claimed that the Rosanero were thinking of a change.
Sampdoria boss Walter Novellino, who worked with owner Maurizio Zamparini while at Venezia, was just one of the names associated with the position. Yet the Sicilian outfit have released an official statement in an effort to bury the increasing speculation. “Seeing that Giuseppe Papadopulo has extended his agreement with Palermo, the newspaper stories regarding our Coach don’t deserve commenting or denying,” it read.

FOOTBALL: PALERMO FANS PLUNDER SHIP, ESCORTED

2006-04-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

The ship which was carrying the 65 fans of the Palermo team from Sardinia to Civitavecchia, who last night plundered the bars, kitchens and restaurants of a Tirrenia ferry, was followed. And so, around half past midnight, the motor boat Aurelia found forty police waiting for them at the dock, including police, Carabinieri and financial police. In order to restore calm to the ship, which was almost empty, after a night of plundering and damage, a few dozen police officers got on board. The arrival is expected around 10.30 in the Lazio port, where the fans will be identified and most likely be reported. Yesterday evening's episode on the ship is the latest in a series of violent acts which in Cagliari kept the forces of order occupied for the entire day, before and after the match between Cagliari and Palermo, which ended 1-1. In the morning, a group of hooligans from the Cagliari team had lain in wait for a bus which was bringing the rival team's fans to the stadium, with the hurling of objects at the escorting officers. Four Cagliari supporters were arrested. In the afternoon there was another attempt at assault on the Palermo team shortly before the boarding on the ferry in the Cagliari port was thwarted by Crabinieri in the streets of the Marina zone. An eighteen-year-old was arrested.

Palermo agains Ascoli - Soccer

2006-04-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Palermo go into Sunday's home game against promoted Ascoli looking to maintain their impresive run at La Favorita. Since coach Papadopulo took over from Dat Neri in january following five defeats in seven Serie A games, Palermo have stayed on course for european football next season having won six of their seven home encounters since Papadopulo took odds.Were italian football fans to name the surprise package of the Serie A season, Ascoli would without a doubt come top of the list. Ascoli's performances have been astonishing considering they only joined the top flight last summer after Italy's football bosses decided to relegate both Genoa and Torino because of financial irregularities.Palermo have been disqualified from the UEFA Cup, they will need to pay more attention on Serie A now. They have sealed 3 straight victories and hope to secure a place in the European next socccer season. "GIVE" is preferable.

Schalke 04 v Palermo - Professional Soccer

2006-03-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

Palermo always managed to score in their away games in this competition, and are coming to Schalke to do the same on the back of a tight 1-0 home win in the 1st leg. Conceding a goal can make it very tough for Schalke, as Plaermo soccer team are massively improved a team in both their defense and theiroffense. This means Schalke should be paying much attention to their backline, and that's not going to help upfront at the other end of the field. Schalke have a problem with some injuries, and have a tough game vs. Bayern Munich in the weekend, so it adds up to the possibility that this should be a tight game, and Palermo has the better odds of qualifying. The Sicillians are a very good football team at on-pitch strategy, and they should probably win 1-0, or draw 0-0 or 1-1. It certainly can't get any better here. Even if Schalke wins by 1 (I don't expect them to win at all) I get a full refund. I'm in! Good Luck

Italian Soccer: Schalke fail to schakle Palermo

2006-03-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

An early goal from stand-in striker Franco Brienza proved enough to give US Città di Palermo a narrow advantage in their UEFA Cup championship last-16 tie against FC Schalke 04 at the Renzo Barbera stadium.
Rost busyThe Italian forward struck after just 15 minutes, applying a clinical left-footed finish to Paul Codrea's right-wing cross. The home team piled forward in search of further goals as a Schalke side shorn of the influential Kevin Kuranyi struggled to show much attacking endeavour of their own. But Palermo soccer team could find no further way through the iron resistance of goalkeeper Frank Rost, whose imperious performance left the Bundesliga tournament team with a fair chance going into the second encounter in Gelsenkirchen.
European formPoor in Serie A, Giuseppe Papadopulo's team seem to save their best for the UEFA Cup and continued where they left off against SK Slavia Praha in the last round. Football player Brienza, playing in place of the ineligible David Di Michele, soon broke the deadlock and Mario Santana could easily increase the odds on his play in the three minutes later only to be denied by Rost from close range. That set the pattern for a game in which the German side struggled to stem a tide of Palermo attacks.
Poulsen deniedThe visitors did have chances, most notably through Ebbe Sand, whose acrobatic effort went narrowly wide of goalkeeper Mariano Andujar's far post. Søren Larsen's header on the half-hour mark required a goalline clearance from Andrea Barzagli but they proved rare moments of respite. Brienza could have scored his second four minutes before the break but Rost intervened with a fine save and Pietro Accardi, Cristian Terlizzi and Denis Godeas all had further odds but a second goal proved elusive. Schalke rallied towards the end, with Christian Poulsen hitting the post with a header but they were forced to settle for a narrow win.

Palermo have to defend - Soccer

2006-03-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Lecce have stryggled with life in Seria A tournament since the departure of controversial coach Zeman. TheCzech's Lecce side was a revelation in Seria A, with Zeman's attacking play delighting the neutralsand helping cause some major upsets in the football league. Baldini has almost a full squad to choosefrom. Soccer players Konan and Vucinic will start up front. Delvecchio will also make up the attack for the lecce side. Palermo may have to defend as if their lives depended on it if they are to keep out the most prolific side in the country. Papadopulo will be hoping his players are inspired by last few weeks' progression into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup championship after the Sicilians beat Salvia Prague 1-0 to gothrough on the away goals rule. But the team knows they must now focus on improving in Seria A. Lecce have 3 wins 6 draws and 18 defeats in the last 27 games, proving they are quite weak thisseason. Palermo saw some improvement lately having secured 2 win 2 draws and only defeated to AC Milan in the last 5 rounds. They are not looking like a promoted team anymore. So, Bet on the visitors.

Soccer - Palermo power past Milan

2006-02-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

A revitalised Palermo are through to the semi-finals of the Italian Cup championship after a convincing 3-0 win over Milan on Tuesday night. The home side collected their first triumph over the San Siro outfit for 26 years in a debut that new boss Giuseppe Papadopulo is unlikely to forget. Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini was looking for a reaction from his boys following the dismissal of Luigi Del Neri and he certainly got that in the first 45 minutes of the game. New man Papadopulo shelved Del Neri’s trademark 4-4-2 tactics in favour of a more flexible 4-3-2-1, with Mariano Gonzalez and David Di Michele excellently supporting lone-striker Andrea Caracciolo.Milan responded with a more cautious 4-4-1-1 with Kaká playing just behind Alberto Gilardino, the Rossoneri goal hero from the first leg. Yet it took the Rosanero just 18 minutes to turn the tie around with Gonzalez and Caracciolo netting for the home side.It could have been so different though had Kaká taken his chance for the away side in the eighth minute. A misplaced Grosso clearance fell kindly to the Brazilian, but his effort was stopped on the line by Andujar. It proved to be a costly error for the Italian giants.Just two minutes later, Palermo took the lead in some style. Gonzalez let rip from 30 yards out and his curling effort flew over Zeljko Kalac, who was a few metres off his line, and into the top corner. Worse was to follow when the poorly protected Milan defence was ripped open by a Gonzalez pass. His perfectly weighted assist fell to the feet of Caracciolo who flicked the ball over the diving Kalac to make it 2-0 on the night, 2-1 on aggregate.Palermo should then have made it three when Di Michele broke the offside trap, but his decision to try to chip the ball over Kalac in a one-on-one situation was disastrous as the ball finished wide of the far post.That scare seemed to wake Milan up a little even if their response was limited to a Marcos Cafu goal which was rightly disallowed for offside, before the Brazilian then saw his low angled drive saved by the Argentine ‘keeper.Neither Coach made any changes at the break and little changed once the game restarted as Palermo quickly took a firm grip on qualification with a third goal. A lack of communication between Dario Simic and goalkeeper Kalac allowed Gonzalez to sneak in between them to ripple the net for the second time of the game this evening.Boss Carlo Ancelotti opted to throw on Pippo Inzaghi, Andrea Pirlo and Serginho, but his side seemed to wave the white flag. So much so that both Simone Barone and Di Michele threatened to make a bad night even worse for the away side with dangerous efforts.Palermo, whose ‘keeper Andujar denied Seedorf and Kaká a consolation goal in minute 88, go through to the last four – for only the third time in their history – thanks to a 3-1 aggregate victory.Palermo 3-0 Milan (3-1 on agg)Scorers: Gonzalez 10, 49 (P), Caracciolo 18 (P).

Godeas sends Palermo through.

2006-02-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

Città di Palermo became the first team to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Cup as today's 1-0 defeat of SK Slavia Praha in Sicily saw them through on away goals following a 2-1 loss in the Czech capital.
Godeas goalWith Kewullay Conteh's first-leg goal in the bag, Palermo midfielder Massimo Mutarelli said there was no need for the Serie A outfit to panic on home soil, and these words proved prophetic as their patient approach finally paid off in the 51st minute. Substitute Denis Godeas scored what proved to be the deciding goal, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom corner following neat wing play from Giovanni Tedesco.Strong startAlthough the victory was deserved, it was the visitors who posed the early threat. Karel Piták and Marek Suchý both passed up decent chances inside seven minutes before Miroslav Holeňák tried his luck with an ambitious volley from 20 metres which flew the wrong side of the left-hand post. Palermo finally sparked into life midway through the half but, as in the first leg, found Slavia goalkeeper Michal Vorel in inspired form.
Constant pressureMario Alberto Santana drew two great stops from Vorel before Tedesco saw another goalbound effort tipped past a post. As the half drew to a close, Santana fired wide and Fabio Grosso had an effort charged down as the Slavia defence held up under constant pressure. Godeas came on for Stephen Makinwa after the interval and was immediately into the action, first going close with a header before scoring with his second opportunity six minutes into the half.
Fořt chancesGodeas could have had a second moments later but Vorel did well to hold his excellent strike from distance. Pavel Fořt twice went close to edging Slavia back in front, but it was Palermo who should have registered the next goal of the night, only for Tedesco to head Paul Codrea's cross over from close range.