Cagliari vs Catania preview - Ficcadenti demands improvement

Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2012 by PA

Cagliari coach Massimo Ficcadenti has criticised his side's performance in Saturday's defeat at Parma and demanded a drastic improvement in the Serie A game against Catania.

The Sardinians fell 3-0 in Parma and Ficcadenti was unimpressed by his team's display.

"We did not read the match properly," he said. "We were not ourselves and we never came to life.

"My team's performance in the second half was awful, our worst of the year. I expect a response from my players on Wednesday."

Cagliari have won just two of their last 10 league games and cannot afford further slips as they lie 16th in the standings, three points clear of the relegation zone.

Tuesday's game will be played in the northern Italian city of Trieste instead of Cagliari due to a dispute between the club and the local council over the renovation of the Sant' Elia stadium.

Catania travel to the Nereo Rocco stadium invigorated by last weekend's 2-0 triumph over Atalanta.

The result halted a four-match winless run for the Sicilians and lifted them to eighth place.

Catania are five points behind fifth-placed Napoli, who hold the last European qualifying spot, but club coach Vincenzo Montella has warned his side must not get carried away.

"Our aim is to do well in our remaining five games and finish as high as possible in the standings," he said. "We don't want to have any regrets at the end of the season but we must be realistic. It's going to be very difficult to finish in the top five."

Cagliari have received good news ahead of the encounter after tests on goalkeeper Michael Agazzi have ruled out a fracture in his left hand.

Agazzi, who was injured during Saturday's encounter, will miss the game through suspension but will return in time for next weekend's encounter against Chievo.

Vlada Avramov will replace Agazzi in goal.