Palermo swept Siena aside despite missing star player Fabrizio Miccoli.

Only one point separated these sides going into the game, having lost three of their last five. The Rosanero were livid after losing to Cagliari last week thanks to an offside goal, but missed star man Fabrizio Miccoli despite seeing his two-match ban for insulting a referee reduced on appeal.

With Miccoli out, the free kick duties had to be shared and Cesare Bovo began by skimming the near post.

Siena had the best early chance on 12 minutes, as Houssine Kharja pounced on a woeful Moris Carrozzieri defensive error and brought a great save out of Marco Amelia.

Amelia had his palms stung twice in a handful of seconds by Massimo Maccarone, while Davide Succi's headers were too central.

Palermo finally took the lead on the half-hour mark with a curious goal. Mattia Cassani got the ball down the right flank and tried to put in a cross, but it looped over a stunned Gianluca Curci and into the far top corner.

The Rosanero did not make the most of a mass defensive error, as Fabio Simplicio gathered from Mark Bresciano, but scuffed the finish.

Curci got down to smother an Edison Cavani angled drive at the near post, but in first half stoppages Zuniga tested Amelia after combining with Ghezzal.

Palermo came out fighting for the second half. First Succi wasted a great chance, then Carrozzieri's header from a corner looped on to the crossbar.

The pressure paid off when Succi chipped a cross from the right that found Simplicio totally unmarked to knock the ball in from six yards off his chest!

Bovo had put the ball in the net for a third, but it was incorrectly disallowed for offside. In stoppages Fabio Liverani set u a chance for Davide Lanzafame, bringing a tough save out of Curci.