Serie A wrap: Palermo stun Milan, Lazio grab points

Palermo’s shock 1-0 home win over league leaders AC Milan on Saturday has thrown the Serie A title race wide open.

Inter and Napoli, who sit second and third respectively, would have been delighted with the result, with the two clubs five and six points respectively behind Milan but with a game to play on Sunday that could reduce the margin even further.

Palermo started well and Dorin Goian gave Serse Cosmi’s side an early lead after just 10 minutes.

From a corner, Giulio Migliaccio’s knockdown found the Romanian who tucked away a volley to score his first goal for the club and heap the pressure on Massimiliano Allegri’s side early in the piece.

Milan should have equalised through Antonio Cassano later in the first half, but he could not make the most of Clarence Seedorf’s sublime pass, with the striker, signed from Sampdoria in January, hitting his shot wide.

As they did in the first half, Palermo again started well in the second when Mauricio Pinilla and Josip Illcic had shots on goal before they missed a golden chance to extend their lead when Matteo Darmian, who had made a clever run towards the far post, could not direct his effort on target.

After losing Marek Jankulovski in the first half to injury, Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato was removed just after the hour mark, as he hobbled off to be replaced by Robinho.

In the absence of the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pato was left on the bench but other options were needed to stand up as Milan desperately searched for a second-half equaliser for the second match in succession.

Robinho and Mathieu Flamini both had attempts on goals as Allegri’s side turned up the heat, while Gennaro Gattuso had a header well saved by Salvatore Sirigu.

Palermo again had a late chance to kill the game off, but substitute Fabrizio Miccoli wasted his opportunity, not that it was to matter as Palermo recorded their first win under their new manager and climbed to seventh on the table.

In the day’s other fixture, Lazio were 1-0 winners over relegation-threatened Cesena at the Stadio Olimpico.

Mauro Zarate’s second-minute goal was all that separated the two sides, with the result snapping Cesena’s unbeaten streak of four matches.