Derby di Sicilia: Sicily is Rossazzurri
By Anthony Barbagallo
Luca Moro’s brace guides Catania to a 2-0 victory over their Sicilian rivals Palermo.
After 10 years of playing second fiddle to Palermo in the Derby di Sicilia, Catania finally picked up their first derby win since 2011 - where the Rossazzurri also recorded a 2-0 victory. With all the financial and ownership chaos surrounding the Etnei, the performance from the players and Coach Francesco Baldini was nothing short of impressive.
In the last decade, the Rossazzurri supporters have had it tough - watching their club spiral out of control in Italy’s third division. And just as it looks like Catania will succumb to bankruptcy at the season’s end, the club’s players and mister Baldini are honouring the Rossazzurri shirt with incredible performances - giving a sense of optimism for the fans.
While Palermo were the favourites heading into the derby - many Rossazzurri, Rosanero and neutrals supporters predicted a draw. Despite the Rosanero’s impressive midfield, robust defence and balanced structure in most performances throughout this 2021-22 campaign, it was expected that Palermo would neutralise the dangerous attack of Catania. But the exact opposite occurred.
Catania’s attacking trident - consisting of star striker Luca Moro, Kevin Biondi and Simone Russini - had a field day in front of Palermo’s goal. The Rossazzurri’s frontline made a case for boasting one of Serie C's Group C best and most lethal attacks. The trickery of Moro and the dynamism of Biondi and Russini on the flanks created havoc for the Rosanero defence, giving Palermo goalkeeper Alberto Pelagotti a hard day’s work between the posts.
Palermo was also outperformed in the middle of the pitch, despite the Rosanero boasting a stronger midfield on paper. Catania’s midfield line with Freddi Greco, Giacomo Rosaia and Luis Maldonaldo was impressive throughout the game - dominating the ball possession, creating more space and sparking lethal counter-attacks.
Even though the entire Catania team was firing on all cylinders, Luca Moro still grabbed the Derby di Sicilia headlines. The 20-year-old forward calmly converted a penalty in the first half, showing tremendous composure in a game with high stakes. The Rossazzurri gem secured all three points in the latter stages of the game when he received the ball from a counter, and cooly dispatched the shot into the net. Moro now has 18 goals in 15 games. Catania and Moro’s performance left the Rossazzurri tifosi in elation.
And yet, with Catania possessing one of the shakiest and unorganised defences in the league, the Etnei’s backline in this crucial derby clash showed maturity and composure. This 2-0 win against their bitter island rivals is Catania’s best performance so far this season, highlighting that this squad is exceptionally talented than most make it out to be. Moro may be Catania’s kryptonite, but this win against Palermo shows that the Rossazzurri are much more than a solo star.
This derby win has Catania sitting in 12th with 23 points, just outside the playoff zone. However, this position is not a bad outcome considering that the Etnei are working on a shoestring budget this season. Palermo's gap between them and group leaders Bari has increased to eight points - leaving it all to play for when the Rosanero take on the Galletti this weekend.