Lecce 1 Palermo 1

Lecce remain in relegation trouble at the foot of Serie A after failing to make the most of a flying start against Palermo this afternoon.

With David di Michele put them ahead with a fifth-minute penalty, it appeared that Serse Cosmi's men were well placed to close the gap between them and those above the safety line.

But, when Ezequiel Munoz levelled 10 minutes later, Palermo were level and, even though both sides ended the game with 10 men after the first-half sendings off of Massimo Oddo and Nicolas Bertolo, there were no further goals.

Such an eventuality does little to help the Giallorossi, who are now five points behind Parma and safety.

That is despite their dream start, which saw Di Michele convert from 12 yards after Munoz brought down Andrea Bertolacci.

It could have been two shortly after, with Emiliano Viviano getting down well to keep out Bertolacci's effort.

Their failure to double their lead came back to bite them too, with Munoz making ammends for his earlier foul when he rose the highest to head in a Josip Ilicic corner.

Lecce's control on the game then loosened further, with Oddo sent from the field after a scything foul on Abel Hernandez.

Ilicic then rifled in a six-yard effort that Massimiliano Benussi did well to block, before Bertolo made their numerical advantage a thing of the past when he struck Gennaro Delvecchio four minutes before the break.

The chances continued to flow after the break, with Benussi denying Ilicic again, before Delvecchio was kept out by Viviano.

Munoz, unable to stay out of the action, then planted a free header wide, and Leonardo Miglionico was turned away by the impressive Viviano.

The running duel between Ilicic and Benussi continued, with the latter getting enough behind the former's left-footed drive and, when he then kept out Eran Zahavi, that proved to be the last meaningful action of the afternoon.