Preview: Gobbi - Palermo

By: Steven | November 22nd, 2007

Sunday November 25th, 2007
Stadio Olimpico, Torino
Squad Status

Palermo

So, we had a two week rest and we’re still missing half the midfield. Good Ole’ Giulio will be back to conquer midfield again, but Caserta has gotten injured during the international matches. Wonder how, as I don’t see Retardo ever getting into Donadonadonadoni’s squad. Furthermore, Miccoli is also still injured. So he’ll be missing out on the team that practically threw him out on the street because ‘his level of play wasn’t good enough’. Right. Bresciano is also out, but with Migliacci back in place, I don’t think we’ll miss his whining ass. Amauri returns to the attack after being suspended against Napoli, and he’ll probably be paired up with Franco Fantastico. I think Colantuono is going for a 3-5-1-1, which I find threathening seeing that keeping our nets clean seems like mission impossible this season. Let’s just hope one of these three defenders isn’t Giuseppe Biava…

Probable Line-up
Fontana; Zaccardo, Rinaudo, Barzagli; Diana, Tedesco, Simplicio, Migliaccio, Capuano; Brienza, Amauri

Juventus

Giorgio Chiellini is banned for the game. Good for our players, now they won’t have to be afraid being speared to that god-afwul, gigantic, monstrous, hideous Pinnochio-nose of his. Rafaele Palladino, aka. The Boy Wonder, will be replaced by Pavel Nedved. Yeey again. Be prepared for a lot of bitching, whining, spitting, diving and looking if his nails haven’t broken yet. Criscito will probably have to make room for Cristian Molinaro, and let’s hope so. For more info on their lousy heap…i mean, team, get over to Roberto and Sofia.

Probable Line-up
Buffon; Birindelli, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Nocerino, C Zanetti, Nedved; Trezeguet, Del Piero

Categorical Matchup

Goalie- Push: Yeah, Yeah…I know…Gigi ‘Look, I’m wearing a shirt that says 88 on it’ Buffon is our national keeper. Keeper Schmeeper, Fontana has been saving everything that has been shot in his direction, so there’s no need to be afraid. Lots of age difference, not much quality difference lately.

Defense- Palermo: Zacc, Barzagli, Rinaudo: nice. Grygera, Legrottaglie and Birindelli: ouch. With Migliaccio keeping an eye on the defense, we’ll lock those prisonboys down.

Midfield- Palermo: Camoranesi is the biggest threat coming out of the Rubentus-midfield, but if we play like against Napoli, we’ll be able to neutralize him. If Colantuono would just get rid of Capuano…

Forwards- Push: Trezeguet has scored 10 goals already. Too bad he’s got old Ale ‘Boohoo, Don said i’m too old to be an Azzurri-striker’ Del Piero alongside of him. Ain’t gonna work playing together. We got Amauri, who’ll want to show himself to the big clubs, and Franco. Seems like an equal game.

Final Analysis

If you guys are watching the game come sunday, don’t be afraid. Hell won’t have frozen over. It’s just 30.000 Palermitani sitting among the Gobbi, selling out the Olimpico for the first and only time this season. I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me, this is the game of the year. To hell with the Catania and Cagliari-derbies, the match against those filthy, scudetto-stealin’, ‘no love for the game’-a’holes is my equivalent of the Second World War. And if the Almighty Renzo Barbera is on our side at 20.30 sunday night, this’ll be Juve’s Stalingrad. Two years ago, the smallest and least loved team from Torino came to the Barbera with all of their arrogance, only to be able to win the game 1-2 after two gigantic errors by the referee. It’s payback time. Payback time for stealing the victory, payback time for stealing the competition, and payback time for that lost Coppa Italia-final some 30 years ago. Yeah, I said it. Stealing. There, i did it again. I’ll stop now, the hate is strong with this one.

So, a final analysis…Amauri said it, and I have little to contribute to that:

“They are stronger than us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t win

As they say, it’s never over until Agnelli takes out his cellphone, but I do believe we have a chance of taking at least one point home from this one.

Prediction
I see an attacking Palermo, lots of chances for Trezeguet, and even more nice saves. I say 1-2, goals by Trezeguet, Amauri and a dubious penalty decision perfectly converted by Il Fantastico.

To close this thing of, and before the vicious war with the Juventus-Offside starts, here’s some stuff to lift your spirits: