Empoli-Cagliari: Crucial Head-to-Head for Salvation at Castellani

by Simone CioniEMPOLIAPutting aside the disappointment of last Tuesday in the Italian Cup to 'bite' a match, the first of five direct confrontations, which offers important points in the sprint salvation. This must be the aim of theEmpoli in tomorrow's challenge at 15pm at the Castellani against Cagliari of the great ex Nicola, Luperto, Caprile, Marin and Piccoli. The team of D'Aversa comes from the good performance in Como, where he also deserved to win, and as the coach himself said after the cup match with Bologna: "We have to transform that anger for the lack of success into positive energy". There is no doubt that the period of captain Grassi and his teammates is not rosy, only 4 points in 15 games with the victory that has now been missing for four months, but at the same time safety is always there, easily within reach. With eight days to go, in fact, the Azzurri are only two points behind the fourth-last place of Lecce and three from the fifth-last of Parma. Winning tomorrow, among other things, would also mean sucking up Cagliari, now 6 points away.

The hope was perhaps to be able to play this important match with a few more choices, instead, D'Aversa will have few arrows to his bow again. In addition to the two suspended Gyasi and Fazzini, the injured Haas, Pellegri, Sazonov, Ismajli, Anjorin, Maleh and Zurkowski will also be missing. The training initial, starting with Vasquez between the posts, given that Seghetti played with Bologna and Silvestri will not be available due to a small fracture to his left hand that should keep him out for this match only. The defense will mirror that of Como with Marianucci still in the center, flanked on the right by Goglichidze and on the left by Viti. In midfield, confirmations for Pezzella on the left and Grassi with Henderson in the middle of the field, while Sambia is favored to take Gyasi's place on the right. The only doubts, as always lately, are therefore in attack where Fazzini will not be there, but the feeling given the use against Bologna is that Colombo and Solbakken will start from the bench. Kouame, who scored in Como, will therefore act as a central striker, supported by Esposito and Cacace, who, as against the Lariani, will therefore act in the offensive midfield.

Very unlikely indeed that D'Aversa you opt for the heavy trident Esposito-Colombo-Kouame, both because you would then only have the young Konate and a Solbakken who is not yet at his best as offensive opportunities during the match, but also because although winning this match would be tremendously important, it will be even more fundamental not to lose it.Empoli he will therefore have to take to the field with the desire and 'hunger' of someone who has only one result in mind, but at the same time with the ability to read the evolution of the match with balance.