Fabio Simplicio and Francesco Guidolin wiped away tears as Palermo grabbed an emotional 2-1 victory over Parma.

Guidolin returned to the Barbera for the first time since he was last fired after four years on and off at the club. The fans gave him a very warm welcome and he was visibly moved, wiping away tears before kick-off.

Both sides needed to get back on track after Palermo's 4-2 loss at Bari, leading to bans for Fabio Liverani and Cesare Bovo. Parma had one point from their last five games, though the tie with Inter last weekend was snowed off. January signing Hernan Crespo wasn't fit yet, but Luis Antonio Jimenez had a starting spot.

Fabrizio Miccoli blasted over from the penalty spot early on, then was closed down for a corner as he ran on to an Edison Cavani pullback. There were handbags between Miccoli and goalkeeper Antonio Mirante, earning both a yellow card.

Jimenez was furious when a free kick was given against him on the edge of the box for a tussle with defender Simon Kjaer, especially as he had kept the ball in play to go clear on goal.

Kjaer tried to backheel in from a corner at the other end, but didn't get enough power to it. Jonathan Biabiany went on a slalom in the Palermo area until Valiani's header was deflected wide.

Bad news for Parma when Blerim Dzemaili caught his studs in the turf and seemed to sprain his knee badly under the body of Giulio Migliaccio when both were stretching for the ball. It looked like a nasty injury and he was stretchered off, making way for Lunardini.

Mirante palmed a dangerous Miccoli free kick away from danger, while Javier Pastore fired well over from the left channel. The Parma goalkeeper also had to rush off his line to clear from Miccoli following a defensive error.

Straight after the restart Parma were more aggressive and Salvatore Sirigu smothered a Lunardini snapshot from the edge of the box.

At the other end, Mirante got down well to capture a powerful Cavani strike from distance.

On 51 minutes a through ball sent Cavani through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he slipped just as the shot-stopper came out and got right back up, not asking for a penalty.

The deadlock was finally broken just past the hour mark when Miccoli whipped in a free kick from the left for a brilliant Cavani glancing header a good 10 yards out. It flew into the far top corner, leaving Mirante rooted to the spot.

Mattia Cassani charged down Biabiany's strike after the speedy hitman had dribbled past two defenders and was lining up the shot.

Parma scored a controversial equaliser. Cavani had been tackled on the edge of the box by Galloppa to spark a counter and, while the Uruguayan was still down, Biabiany went on the counter to beat Sirigu with an angled drive. Guidolin had urged his men to put the ball out of play and the Rosanero felt it had been a foul anyway, but it is up to the referee and Cavani was not seriously injured.

Pastore's sudden snapshot forced a tough save out of Mirante, as the Argentine unleashed a dipping rocket from 20 metres. From the resulting corner Cassani skipped past a defender on the outside corner of the box for Mirante to fingertip the low drive on to the base of the upright. Another corner and this time Migliaccio flicked it inches past the far post.

It was a siege, as Cavani's header whistled over and the Uruguayan then had penalty appeals for a Castellini shirt-tug.

Cavani thought he was offside when he failed to make contact with a through ball and was one-on-one with Mirante, but glanced over and saw the flag was down.

Fabio Simplicio came off the bench against his former club and within minutes had restored Palermo's lead. Miccoli hooked down a long ball and turned his marker to roll across for Simplicio to smash into the top corner. The Brazilian burst into tears, both as he was playing against his old teammates and because his future is in doubt with a contract that expires in June.

Davide Lanzafame sprung the offside trap for a cross-shot that landed on the roof of the net.