Catania-Cagliari

By: Jeremy | November 7th, 2008

After our win against Chievo, we headed to Genoa for a road game against a team that is clearly better then we are, but who isnt a top of the table team. With momentum on our side, and the desire to push away from the relegation zone, this was a test that we needed to pass by earning atleast a point. While we fought hard, we failed. This game showed that we are still relegation fodder and have some work to do to become a mid level club.

Guess what, we get another chance this weekend in Sicily. After beating fellow relegation struggler Bologna at home in a convincing manner, we now hit the road and get a Catania club who briefly topped the table, but whose table position and talent level is no better the Genoas. Their recent performance also sees them falling down the standings and they are trying to avoid getting sucked back in to the relegation race.

I love Walter Zenga and Catania fans have to be thrilled with what he has done. After saving them from relegation last year, he added talent and saw his club win games they were supposed to, including a nice win against a strong Palermo side, and push well away from the relegation zone. While streaks happen, reality is that Catania is still a candidate for relegation and when you only get one point from your last three games, you drop down quick. A loss this weekend at home to Cagliari puts them back in the relegation mix. A win is a must to stop the bleeding and to help solidify their club as a solid mid table member of Serie A.

Catania is a very similar club to Cagliari. They need to beat bad teams at home and steal points on the road with the goal to avoid relegation fights and finish mid table. Anything beyond that is really asking a lot. I like Mascara as a player and they do have some young strikers, but the talent is still thin on this club and they have overachieved so far.

Cagliari gets another chance to move away from the relegation zone against a team that does not have any more talent then they do. Cagliari needs to be commended for winning its games against its relegation rivals but that streak cannot continue so easily and even with this success they are still in the relegation mix. These wins make that bad start easier to overcome, but we still have a lot to do. Games against teams like Catania is where they need to get points and they face the same positives and negatives as they did heading into the game with Genoa. Maybe the result will be different.

Other then a loss to Udinese, Catania is again tough at home. Cagliari is pretty dismal on the road absent their surprise result against Torino. One thing about Catania is they struggle to score but have done well to beat the teams they are supposed to beat, especially at home. While they played tough against Lazio last week, offensively they do not scare anyone. Their best performance of the year was the 2-0 home win against Palermo. In derby matches anything can happen so I look at this as more of an abberation then an indication of long term performance.

The difference in this game is going to be Acquafresca. He has renewed confidence and with the support of Jeda, who is playing fantastic, and Cossu, they have to feel they can put some goals in the back of the net. Cagliari is the kind of team that Catania should beat 1-0 at home in a boring match where much isnt said and three points quietly go into Catanias column. I think Cagliari learned something from the Genoa game and realizes this is another important game where points can be earned. Combine that with the confidence of five goals last week, I am going to go against conventional wisdom and say we get a win this weekend as the teams have not played to a draw since 1970.
Look for a little more excitement then is typical in this matchup.

Prediction

Catania 1-2 Cagliari