CAGLIARI

[D-Kin]

Cagliari want Verona keeper Pegolo as a replacement for the injured Chimenti.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=20624

[D-Kin]

Cagliari are in talks with Ascoli about a swap deal involving midfielder Antonio Langella.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=21813

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 19 - 14/1/07 (14.00 UK)
Cagliari - Ascoli

Stadio Sant'Elia

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It will be a relegation battle between sorry Cagliari and Ascoli at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Week 19. Both teams will be desperate to come away with all three points after this match.
The Sardinians currently lie in 15th position with 16 points and Ascoli are bottom with just nine.

Last year’s fixture was an entertaining affair and ended 2-1. In Week 18 Cagliari were brushed aside 2-0 by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, while Ascoli impressed by winning their first game of the season with a 3-0 over Chievo.

The axing of Coach Marco Giampaolo didn’t produce any positive results and President Massimo Cellino will probably be regretting it already. New boss Franco Colomba hasn’t managed to turn the situation for the Rossoblu around and the injury of the flamboyant winger Mauro Esposito, who will be out for about six months, is another big blow for them.

Colomba will probably line-up a 4-4-2 formation. Marco Fortin should take the gloves, considering that Antonio Chimenti still isn’t available after his shoulder injury. Uruguayan stopper Diego Lopez is likely to start as a central defender with former Catania player Paolo Bianco. Youngster Michele Canini may be selected as full-back.

In midfield, 27-year-old playmaker Daniele Conti and defensive holding player Alessandro Budel will probably play in the centre. Honduran star-man David Suazo, who has stayed with the Isolani despite the transfer rumours, will be partnered by eclectic striker Antonio Langella.

Ascoli boss Nedo Sonetti, who kept Cagliari in the top flight last term, is inpatient to see whether his men will be able to play like they did in Week 18 at the Stadio Del Duca. The Bianconeri have only signed former Roma and Inter midfielder Gigi Di Biagio so far, while full-back Aleksander Lukovic joined Udinese.

Sonetti should reconfirm the 4-5-1 formation. Midfielder Gaetano Fontana is suspended and it is likely that Fabio Pecchia will have to watch from the bench. Di Biagio is very unlikely to start, while striker Marco Delvecchio is not 100 per cent fit.

Man on fire: David Suazo (Cagliari) – Cagliari’s star man is an incredibly dangerous threat, especially when playing at the Sant’Elia. This 27-year-old powerful forward has shown his love for the Sardinians by rejecting all the transfer rumours. Now that talk is over - it is time to score!

Last season: Cagliari 2-1 Ascoli

Form guide: Cagliari (D D L L L) Ascoli (D L L L W)

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Cagliari (probable): Fortin; Canini, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Colucci, Budel, Conti, Biondini; Langella, Suazo

Ascoli (probable): Pagliuca; Cudini, Pecorari, Nastase, Minieri; Fini, Boudianski, Zanetti, Galloppa, Guberti; Bjelanovic

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

1-0 Cagliari. Penalty from Suazo. Deserved penalty as he was taken down in the box just as he was about to shoot.

[Jager]

Cagliari 1 - 0 Ascoli
Suazo pen 15 (C)
Stadio Sant'Elia

David Suazo's penalty handed Cagliari Coach Franco Colomba his first points after two straight defeats on the bench.

Two desperate teams faced off in this relegation battle and have already had a change of management this season. Ascoli celebrated their first win of the season before the Christmas break and had Gaetano Fontana suspended and gave veteran Gigi Di Biagio his debut, but had never won here in Serie A with two points from eight visits. The Sardinians are without Mauro Esposito for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

David Suazo wreaked havoc in the area on 15 minutes, skipping past Pecorari before he was brought down by Mirko Cudini for a penalty. Suazo got back up to convert and give Cagliari the lead.

The Honduras international was on fire and dribbled past three players to scuff his shot wide, though Marco Fortin had some problems on Michele Fini's piledriver.

After the break Sasa Bjelanovic took advantage of a Diego Lopez error, but fired over from a tight angle, then his header was well saved by Fortin and he was denied by Paolo Bianco's goalline clearance.

Bianco's header tested Gianluca Pagliuca, while Suazo's shot was parried into the path of Daniele Conti for a finish over the bar.

Cagliari: Fortin; Pisano, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Colucci, Conti, DAgostino (Del Grosso 54); Capone (Pepe 62), Langella (Budel 77), Suazo

Ascoli: Pagliuca; Vastola, Cudini (Pesce 71), Nastase, Pecorari; Di Biagio, Fini, Zanetti, Perrulli (Paolucci 46), Bonanni (Guberti 62); Bjelanovic

Ref: Rizzoli

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

With results like this Ascoli are going down.

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 20 - 21/1/07 (14.00 UK)
Catania - Cagliari

Stadio Massimino

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Catania and Cagliari have been struggling for consistency of late and both sides will be eager to rack up a win when Sicily faces Sardinia in the battle of the Isolani. Catania will be hoping their home advantage can give them the edge against the struggling visitors.

Cagliari find themselves way down the table and will be concerned at their chances of being dragged into a relegation battle as the season progresses. They still have a seven-point gap between themselves and the drop zone, but given Reggina’s impressive form they can’t afford to be complacent.

Last week’s win over bottom club Ascoli will have given the Rossoblu players a much-needed confidence boost and they will be hoping to build on that victory. But that 1-0 triumph was their first win in 11 matches and they certainly won’t be going into this game as favourites.

The Sardinians will have to make do without both goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti and star winger Mauro Esposito – the latter is out for the season. Marco Fortin and Andrea Capone are likely to get the nod from Coach Franco Colomba.

Catania’s absences are a lot more severe. Gianluca Falsini, Matteo Biso and Giuseppe Mascara are all out injured while Lorenzo Stovini and Fabio Caserta are both suspended. Mariano Izco, Francesco Millesi and Mauro Minelli should slot into the team and get a chance to impress Coach Pasquale Marino.

Marino will not be too concerned by those missing players though, given his team’s excellent form so far this term. They have emerged as Serie A’s surprise package and the newly-promoted Sicilians currently find themselves occupying the fourth Champions League spot.

On home soil Catania have been especially impressive and have not lost a single fixture at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, meaning Cagliari will have a tough task to come away with any points in Sicily. The Etnei may have suffered a disappointing defeat at Chievo last week, but the fans will be hoping a backlash will secure another home win in this match.

Man on fire: Gionatha Spinesi (Catania) – The prolific marksman has 11 Serie A goals to his name already and has scored in every single Catania home game except one, and that was way back in Week 2!

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Catania (D W L W L) Cagliari (D L L L W)

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Catania (probable): Fortin; Pisano, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, L Colucci; Capone, Suazo, Langella

Cagliari (probable): Pantanelli; Silvestri, Sottil, Minelli, Vargas; Izco, Edusei, Baiocco; G Colucci, Spinesi, Millesi

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

Catania: Pantanelli, Sottil, Minelli, Silvestri, Vargas, Baiocco, Edusei, Colucci, Izco, Spinesi, Mascara
Subs: Polito, Cesar, Lucenti, Sardo, Millesi, Rossini, Corona

Cagliari: Fortin, Agostini, Lopez, Bianco, Pisano, Conti, Colucci, Martini, Capone, Langella, Suazo
Subs: Aresti, Bizera, Del Grosso, Budel, D'Agostino, Biondini, Pepe

[D-Kin]

Catania 0-1 Cagliari

8' Suazo (pen)

[D-Kin]

Mascara goes close with a header but the keeper saves well.

[D-Kin]

HT 1-0 to Cagliari.

[D-Kin]

Great save from Fortin to deny Spinesi a header.

[D-Kin]

FT 1-0 to Cagliari.

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 21 - 28/1/07 (14.00 UK)
Cagliari - Reggina

Stadio Sant'Elia

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Reggina travel to Sardinia this weekend for a tricky test against Cagliari at the Stadio Sant’Elia. With just one victory in their last five, the Amaranto are in arguably their worst form of the campaign, while the Rossoblu have doubled their win tally for the season in a matter of weeks.

Heading into the winter break, Franco Colomba must have been regretting his decision to take charge of Gianfranco Zola’s former club, as they lost three on the spin. However, the festive season seems to have had a galvanising effect on the club, who have won two in a row since returning in the New Year. Both victories have, however, been courtesy of David Suazo penalties.

Aside from the long-term absence of flying winger Mauro Esposito and experienced custodian Antonio Chimenti, Colomba has no other major injury concerns to deal with. Indeed, the only change he is likely to make from the team which emerged from Catania with a 1-0 win is in midfield. Antonino D’Agostino looks set to move from the bench into the starting XI, with Davide Marchini missing out.

Although their form hasn’t been great, Reggina would be nowhere near the relegation zone had it not been for their 11-point deduction for their part in Calciopoli. The Reggio Calabria boys would in fact be closer to a Champions League spot than the deadly drop to Serie B. However, a win here would edge them closer to the clubs just above the bottom three – and it’s certainly possible, as they were just the second club to inflict defeat upon Cagliari at the Sant’Elia last term.

Boss Walter Mazzari is unlikely to ring the changes after his charges earned a respectable 0-0 draw against Palermo last weekend. Alessandro Lucarelli picked up an injury in that game though, as did his replacement Daniele Amerini. Therefore it is expected that Palmiro Di Dio, a veteran of just two Serie A matches to date, will step into the breach. But if Nicola Amoruso and Rolando Bianchi continue in the same manner, hopefully it won’t matter what happens at the back…

Man on fire: David Suazo (Cagliari) – He might be nowhere near his 2005-06 form, but has netted consecutive match-winners from the penalty spot.

Last season: Cagliari 0-2 Reggina

Form guide: Cagliari (L L L W W) Reggina (L L W L D)

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Cagliari (probable): Fortin; Pisano, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; D'Agostino, Conti, L Colucci; Langella, Capone, Suazo

Reggina (probable): Pelizzoli; Lanzaro, Di Dio, Aronica; Mesto, Tognozzi, G Tedesco, Vigiani, Modesto; Amoruso, Bianchi

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

HT 0-0.