03 May 2013
Palermo boss Giuseppe Sannino has so far shown great faith in summer arrival from Genoa, Steve von Bergen, by selecting him in all but three league matches of the current campaign. A trio of players (Santiago Garcia, Ezeqiuel Muñoz and Josip Ilicic) all sit on 29 appearances, trailing the Swiss defender by just two.
Josip Ilicic is enjoying his most successful run in front of goal from his three seasons with the Rosanero. Having found the back of the net ten times so far this campaign, the Slovenian international is the club’s leading marksman and has recently struck a rich vein of form, scoring in each of his previous five matches.
Club captain Fabrizio Miccoli has also displayed great quality in the final third, netting on six occasions and also frequently turning provider by weighing in with eight assists. Paulo Dybala has chipped in with three goals, while Egidio Arévalo and Luigi Giorgi have both scored twice.
A total of seven players have been shown red cards for the Sicilian outfit: Miccoli, Carlos Labrin, Franco Brienza, Salvatore Aronica, Steve von Bergen, Édgar Barreto and Michel Morganella, who was given his marching orders in the reverse fixture against Juventus after receiving two bookings in the space of eight second-half minutes.
Young Argentine defender Muñoz leads the way in terms of yellow cards with nine. Five players follow close behind having each gone into the referee’s book on seven occasions: Fabrizio Miccoli, Josip Ilicic, Massimo Donati, Santiago Garcia and Édgar Barreto.
Sannino’s side are currently right in the midst of the relegation dog fight and face a nervy end to the season as they currently sit in 17th place on 32 points, level with closest rivals Genoa and just two clear of Siena.
However, survival hopes have been raised by a superb run of form that has seen them achieve three wins and two draws from their last five league fixtures, claiming the notable scalps of Inter and Roma in the process.
