Bari vs Fiorentina preview - Viola fancy rare away win
Posted Sunday, February 27, 2011 by PA
Away-day strugglers Fiorentina may have the ideal opponents to face as they go after only their second win away from home in Serie A this season.
Sinisa Mihajlovic's side take on relegation-threatened Bari at the San Nicola stadium bidding to end a sequence that has seen La Viola lose six and draw six on the road this season.
"We need to try to export the personality we show at the Artemio Franchi stadium when we play away from home," said Fiorentina midfielder Valon Behrami.
"We have to continue to improve in the standings and we have an opportunity to take a positive result at Bari this weekend.
"Our only thoughts right now are to avoid the drop as soon as possible."
Bari have won just three times this season, their last against Lecce on January 6.
Fiorentina are not expecting an easy game against Bari, however.
"It will be a difficult game because they are fighting for their Serie A lives," said Behrami. "They will make us work hard and we will have to be patient."
Last weekend's goalless draw against Sampdoria left La Viola 11th in the standings, 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Bari, meanwhile, are determined to bounce back from last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Lazio.
The result was Bari's seventh defeat in eight games and left the Galletti at the foot of the standings with just 15 points from 26 games.
They head into Sunday's game against Fiorentina 11 points adrift from safety.
"My players need to show more courage," said Bari coach Bortolo Mutti. "They seem to be affected by our low position in the standings and they play with fear.
"We need to snap out of this mental block and go out for victories."
Bari's main weakness this season has been their lack of goalscoring, with just 14 goals netted in 26 games. The Galletti have failed to find the back of the net in their last four league games.
The hosts are without defender Marco Rossi, who serves a one-match ban.
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