Bologna-Cagliari

By: Jeremy | March 20th, 2009

After last weeks debacle at home to Genoa where the ref decided he wanted to control the outcome of the game, Cagliari heads to Bologna at a crossroads in their season. I still believe last weeks game was our game of the season. The result determined which way the season would fall. While every game is important, the weeks shape the season until you get to one week where the result will determine the final objectives and the mindset of the club to finish in a certain position.

For most clubs, this game is toward the end of the year, but for clubs in the middle of the table, who arent facing relegation, yet think Europe is possible, this game often comes with 10 weeks or so left in the season. Genoa was our game, but despite the result, you just cant quit as long as anything is realistically possible and we certainly still have something to play for.

With that said, we head to Bologna to face a team with great tradition but who has just returned to Serie A and is facing a survival problem despite having DiVaio lead Serie A in scoring. Any time you have the leagues top scorer but are facing relegation, it is clear your overall talent is probably on the Serie B level. As with most clubs who jump to Serie A from Serie B, you need a year to establish yourself, survive, and then build the depth of the club in the offseason. Bologna is trying to do that and they sit 2 points clear of safety with little room for error as Torino is not going to be relegated without a fight and Chievo looks like they could stay up.

I dont know much about their players, but they are facing a lot of guys missing this week through suspension or injury. After last weeks humiliation against Juventus, they cannot lose this game as Cagliari comes in mentally destroyed and may just be playing out the string on the season content that they survived after such a horrible start. For Bologna to win, someone besides DiVaio is going to have to step up which has been a tough demand on this team.

What can you say about Cagliari. This has been one of the most up and down seasons in some time. Emotionally for its fans, it even rivals last seasons miracle of survival. Since beating Juventus and getting some real attention in the league, they have lost points in other games they could have won. Many of these results were based on red cards or just some bad luck. Cagliari has yet to be beaten in a convincing way since the Juve win yet most pundits would say Cagliari is losing its edge and not playing well. That being said, teams with european ambitions make their own luck and we have not been doing it. For such a young team, this can take its toll mentally and as games become more meaningful, our edge may be lost to the point where teams like Bologna with something to play for, especially at home, can win games that their talent should not allow.

I can go either way on this game as Cagliari is clearly the better team. I am sure Bologna remembers the 5-1 ass whipping we put on them in Sardinia. Cagliari also should have beaten Genoa with ten men and the missed chances were so frustrating. The key was that after having Cossu kicked out of the game, the team amped it up and still dominated Genoa, a team that talks like it belongs in the Champions League. If the team carries that fight to this week, we beat Bologna, but if the time and recent distraction of Marchetti being courted by Milan causes a mental let down, we wont win. Being on the road without Cossu will also have an effect on the team.

Cagliari needs to look at this game as a way to get back in the european fight instead of just being satisfied with survival and playing with a non chalant attitude. Allegri must use his coaching ability to keep the team motivated and it is clear he is having an effect on them after their performance following the loss of Cossu in the Genoa match.

Bologna on the other hand has something to play for and wants to impress the home fans. Call it a hunch, and I hope I am wrong, but I think we are flat this week and Bologna is going to steal some much needed points.

Prediction

Bologna 2-1 Cagliari