Cagliari-Udinese

By: Jeremy | May 9th, 2008

Yes I am still basking in the happiness that was the win over Fiorentina. This was just the latest result where timing in the second half has been in our favor. This weekend we hit the road to play Udinese where our win against Fiorentina not only gave us a boost, but also may have motivated them. Udinese feels the same way about Europe as we do about safety. Its in their grasp and you an almost taste it. After they did us the favor by scraping by Empoli, I am all for them making Europe as long as it does not cause us to be relegated.

This weekend I will again be watching the other relegation strugglers and it could be that if things go right, even if we lose to Udinese, we will be safe. Safety should almost be celbrated like a Champions League qualification as the second half of the season began with that being almost impossible. I still think 38 points is safe, but a tie this weekend seals it.

Udinese has a lot to play for and wont be in the mood to let us waltz in to their stadium and steal points. The good news is that games against Udinese in their stadium result in exciting high scoring matches, but the bad news is that Cagliari sucks on the road. While being at home against a tired Fiorentina can result in a magical win, a game on the road against an equally rested club like Udinese is not likely to generate points when they have something to play for. This is the last of the three game span that I assumed would put Cagliari in the relegation zone with us needing a win against Reggina at home to survive. That win against Fiorentina will prove vital as we now want that game against Reggina to mean nothing and our safety assured after this weekend(getting greedy arent I?). In other words, I dont expect points from this match.

Udinese will likely play better then they did on the road against Empoli and we will probably not be as strong as we showed against Fiorentina. With Conti and Acquafresca out, scoring on the road will be tough. However, I will get to see some more action from favorites Biondini and Cossu who have been keys in the second half of the season when it comes to keeping things moving. Could Foggia play the full 90 this weekend? I wouldnt bet on it, but Id love to see it. We will rely on Matri again to score but I wish he was playing in attacking midfield with Jeda more forward. I think Ballardini is still trying to rest everyone he can in case they are needed against Reggina.

If Fiorentina can beat Parma at home and Reggina can beat Empoli at home, we are safe. I would bet on both of those happening before I would that we get points as well. There is a lot that can happen that can make us safe and that is the only objective right now. I dont care if we get beat 5-0 and back in to safety.

These are joyous times in Sardinia. We have managed to get points when they were absolutely necessary and even steal some when they werent expected. Over the course of a half a season, it has taken us from the laughing stock of the league to the verge of safety. There is so much to talk about but I dont want to get ahead of myself. We can take care of our own business but I will appreciate the help we are likely to get this weekend.

In addition to Empoli or Parma needing to win on the road this weekend to keep us in the relegation play, Catania needs a win over Juventus on the road(forget it) or Roma at home next week. Even in meaningless games, that is asking a lot from Catania.

This could be the weekend we meet our objectives. The excitement and anticipation is there but the way our season has been, things can change quickly so we must not assume we wont need points next weekend. The bottom clubs tend to play slightly better these final two weeks so lets see what happens.

While I will always have my eyes on the Cagliari game, last weekend has removed a ton of pressure and can allow me to focus more on the other teams whose results are just as important to Cagliari. I originally thought we might be able to pull a draw out of this game if we were still on 35 points, but I dont see it after last weekends results. Good results can often change mindsets and gaffer tactics and Ballardini seems to be making the right choices lately for the most part.

Prediction Udinese 2-1 Cagliari.

Lets hope the next post is a happy one. I think it will be so enjoy the weekends games. It is a great time of year to be a fan of soccer in Europe.