Pescara vs Bologna preview - Struggling Pescara eye Bologna victory

Posted Sunday, February 03, 2013 by PA

Head coach Cristiano Bergodi is plotting to suck Bologna back into a relegation battle as Pescara bid to recover from a demoralising trip to Sampdoria.

If successive defeats to Inter Milan and Torino had knocked the east coast outfit's confidence, then a 6-0 humbling at the Marassi would certainly test Pescara's resolve to book a second season in the top flight.

Bologna are only two points better off in 15th place, though, and Bergodi knows the game is one his team can sorely afford to lose.

He told La Repubblica: "The league table is a worry, but our target is to stay up and we are two points clear of the relegation zone.

"It's clear that we need to fight hard to stay up - the last two games were not good but we have the means to save ourselves by taking points from the sides around us.

"The performance was bad and we need to take a different approach and work harder.

"I won't talk about a tragic situation, but there are a lot of things that we need to improve and we need to hurry up."

Pescara have no real injury concerns, with Juan Quintero and Mervan Celik nursing light knocks, but Bologna are light in attack with Manolo Gabbiadini struggling to be fit.

Defender Cesare Natali is unlikely to feature but the Rossoblu are bolstered by the arrival of midfielder Lazaros Christodoulopoulos from Panathinaikos.

The Greece international, who has moved to the Renato Dall'Ara on loan, told Gazzetta.it: "There is a lot of criticism of my country at the moment.

"Playing abroad gives me a great opportunity to show that we Greeks are serious professionals.

"This is the start of a new career for me and I hope I have a future in Italy."

Deadline day also saw veteran defender Daniele Portanova sign for Genoa, Robert Acquafresca link up with Levante and Uruguayan striker Henry Gimenez join Grosseto on loan.

Bologna were denied all three points against Pescara in September as Quintero struck to cancel out Alberto Gilardino's early goal.