Palermo have done very well to snipe a hot prospect from under the noses of some very big European clubs.

Argentinean youngster Javier Pastore was in great demand after an impressive performance for Huracan, where he was on loan last season. The 20-year-old was rumoured to be on the watch list of Manchester United, Arsenal, as well as Inter. However, the Aquile somehow managed to soar above the rest of the pack and get the player to sign on the dotted line.

The club has announced the signing of Pastore, and specified that the current contract will keep the player at the Renzo Barbera until 2014.

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The movers and shakers of the second tier got the right results and the hunt is on for a place in the Serie A, but the final lap of the race will have to showcase a strong run to the finish line.

Livorno finally shook off their eight match winless run to pick up an emphatic victory away from home. Filippini struck home early, while Galante put one past the keeper after a corner kick. Tavano bagged a brace in the second half to complete the return of the giants in a magnificent fashion, as he made the score line look the way it ideally should have. The hosts could not have had a worse game, since they had two men sent off, and are still nine points adrift of a relegation playoff spot.

Empoli and Grosseto faced each other in a well-fought contest, which ended in a four-goal stalemate. But the Torelli will feel terrible, since a defensive error during stoppage time enabled their opponents to score the leveller, leaving the hosts to feel sorry for their complacency towards the end.

Bruno Giordano made his debut on the Pisa bench with a decent draw to kick off his career with the club. Bonucci scored a little after the half hour mark, but Mantova came back well and equalised in the second half through a goal by Marchesetti, owing to some poor defending. The Torri almost won the game in stoppage time, but some frantic defending saved the day for the visitors.

Here are the results:

Albinoleffe 2-0 Cittadella
Ancona 0-3 Bari
Brescia 3-0 Avellino
Frosinone 1-0 Modena
Grosseto 2-2 Empoli
Parma 2-0 Ascoli
Pisa 1-1 Mantova
Rimini 2-0 Salernitana
Sassuolo 2-1 Piacenza
Treviso 0-4 Livorno
Vicenza 1-0 Triestina

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After a break in the Serie B, we return to all the action as the teams vie for better prospects for the rest of the season.

Bari will take on Rimini, who are coming out of a hat-trick of losses, and it will be a tough test for the visitors, who will be playing at the home of the potential winners of the league this season. The hosts lost a precious lead in the last round, as Parma trumped them by two goals. But the Galletti will want to get back on track, and anything less than a win may cause the club to lose the top spot.

Livorno will face off with an in form Parma side that is brimming with confidence after beating the only team above them on the table, and will undoubtedly look to take their run of good results further by beating a team that is on the third spot, but is quickly succumbing the pressure in the second tier. The Amaranto have not won in seven outings, and their fans will be clamouring for something to show for their recent effort in the league, which has not borne fruit yet.

Here are the fixtures:

Ascoli - Frosinone
Avellino - Piacenza
Bari - Rimini
Cittadella - Pisa
Empoli - Treviso
Livorno - Parma
Mantova - Ancona
Modena - Sassuolo
Salernitana - Albinoleffe
Triestina - Grosseto
Vicenza - Brescia

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