25 October 2014
Palermo returned to the top flight with a 1-1 opening day draw against Sampdoria. Paulo Dybala got the Renzo Barbera rocking when he scored the opener after just seven minutes, only for Rosanero hearts to be broken by a last-gasp Daniele Gastaldello strike that salvaged a point for the visitors.
Further disappointment was to follow in Verona, where Hellas Verona overturned Franco Vazquez’s 18th minute opener through former Palermo frontman Luca Toni’s penalty and Eros Pisano’s own goal in the closing stages.
The Rosanero earned plenty of admirers for their next performance against Inter, who fell behind after just three minutes through Vazquez’s second goal in as many games. But the hosts would eventually have to settle for a share of the spoils after Mateo Kovacic levelled matters approaching the break.
A total of three goals scored in their first three matches was spectacularly doubled at the San Paolo, where Napoli were pegged back from 2-0 and 3-2 through Andrea Belotti’s double and a solitary effort from Vazquez.
The result in Naples suggested Beppe Iachini’s men may well have turned the corner, but a four-goal away win for Lazio, featuring a Filip Djordjevic hat-trick and Marco Parolo strike, brought them back down to earth with a bump.
Rosanero woes continued in their next outing, with fellow newly-promoted side Empoli recording a 3-0 victory at the Carlo Castellani. Massimo Maccarone set the hosts on their way to a comfortable success when he broke the deadlock after just four minutes before Lorenzo Tonelli made it two ahead of the interval. Manuel Pucciarelli added a third on 63 minutes, leaving Palermo still in search of their first win of the season.
This duly arrived in their next game against 10-man Cesena, who were sent packing courtesy of strikes either side of the break at the Renzo Barbera. Dybala grabbed the lead on 33 minutes, only for the hosts to be pegged back through substitute Alejandro Rodriguez’s penalty on the hour mark. But, with 10 minutes remaining, Giancarlo Gonzalez leapt highest to head home for Palermo and send the Rosanero fans into delirium.
