At the end of March, Alessio Dionisi conceded Palermo were still searching for their identity. For the manager of a play-off candidate, it was a striking admission just seven weeks from the end of the campaign.

But four wins in six matches suggest the Rosanero may have finally found that identity as the race enters the home stretch.

Up to seventh in Serie B, the Sicilians have a four-point buffer to ninth-placed Bari, their opponents on Friday night, and are only five adrift of Juve Stabia in fifth, who face fourth-placed Cremonese on Sunday.

The trip to the San Nicola presents Palermo with the chance of winning three games in a row for the first time this season, after they followed their victory against Salernitana by dispatching league leaders Sassuolo 5-3 last weekend.

The victory against the Neroverdi was a microcosm of Palermo’s season, swinging from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again within 90 minutes.

Four goals to the good after 55 minutes, they conceded twice in two minutes as Nicholas Pierini and Luca Moro halved the lead, before Joel Pohjanpalo completed his hat-trick to resettle any nerves.

The Finland international has eight goals in as many games since signing for €4m from Venezia in January. Pohjanpalo’s 10 scoring contributions is one more than his strike partner Matteo Brunori has in 27 matches.

Against Sassuolo, the 28-year-old scored two headers, swept home a third goal while flat on the ground and played a part in Jacopo Segre’s finish. His impact on Palermo has been nothing short of transformational and if they are to return to Serie A for the first time in eight years, it is Pohjanpalo’s goals that will drag them there.

The Finn’s treble against Sassuolo was followed by a brilliant goal from Pedro Obiang six minutes from time which, while ultimately inconsequential, was a timely reminder Palermo have a penchant for complicating things.

Throughout the season they have looked like a team that can’t get out of their own way and while their current run of form is certainly encouraging, it may be premature to suggest Dionisi’s men have finally turned a corner.

Winning against a direct promotion rival on Friday, however, would significantly alter that perception.

Winless in their last five matches, the Galletti have won just once in eight outings, drawing five times in the process. The 3-3 draw at promotion-chasing Catanzaro on Saturday was their 17th of the campaign, a staggering figure which could ultimately cost Moreno Longo’s men a play-off spot.

Bari climbed into the top eight in November but have won just five times in 19 games since then, drawing nine, in an unsustainable run of form that has dropped them back to ninth.

And while there were some silver linings to be found in the draw against Catanzaro as Andrea Favilli rescued a point in the 92nd minute, Longo and Bari need a lot more if they are to return to the play-offs for the second time in three seasons.

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