Palermo wakes up with three quick goals in the first 3 minutes of the second half
If 6 out of the last 7 goals (and 11 out of 14 in total) have come in the second halves, it is due to not only tactical but also psychological work that motivates the team to raise the intensity after halftime. However, if this intensity is established in the early minutes of the second half, from which Palermo has already scored 3 goals, it is clear that their objective during the interval is to immediately impact the opponent and then manage the game differently. About 21.5% of Palermo’s goals (3 out of 14) have come in the first 180 seconds of the second half: returning to the field with an aggressive approach has been crucial in achieving victory. The goals during this phase have been scored by Stulac against Feralpisalò (after 49 seconds), Ceccaroni against Südtirol (two and a half minutes) and Henderson against Modena (90 seconds). These goals have come at different scorelines: the Slovenian player scored the 2-0, the former Venezia player initiated the comeback, which was completed by Aurelio, and the Scottish player gave Palermo the lead. The forwards are yet to find the back of the net, but considering the participation of the entire team in the attacking phase (the only ones who haven’t scored are the injured Di Mariano and Valente), it is likely their moment will come soon. However, after scoring early, Corini has been dissatisfied with the subsequent management of the game. After the Südtirol victory, he highlighted how the team had relaxed too much after the 1-1 draw, allowing the opponent to take control. A similar situation occurred against Feralpisalò and Modena, with a missed clear chance by Ceppitelli and a rather ineffective attack, with the only danger coming from Ponsi’s off-target shot. One aspect that the coach could work on during the break is not to ease up after scoring a goal, especially when it happens immediately after halftime, so as not to give any hope to the opponent. The characteristic of scoring early in the second halves is shared by the current Palermo team and the one from last season. In fact, in the previous season, they scored 13 goals between the 46th and 60th minute (out of 49 total goals, 26.5%), which was the highest in Serie B. The peak of this approach came against Modena when they scored three consecutive goals (Soleri, Verre, and Aurelio), turning the game around from a 1-2 deficit at halftime to a 4-2 victory. In terms of conceding goals, Palermo, who have the second-best defense in Serie B behind Brescia, have not yet conceded in the first 15 minutes of the second half. This indicates that the 1-2 defeat against Brescia on May 19 (with goals from Rodriguez at the 9th minute and Ayé at the 11th minute), which denied them a playoff spot, has been erased not only in terms of results but also in their approach to the different phases of the game.
Palermo, nell’intervallo suona la… sveglia: già tre gol nei primi 3’ della ripresa
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