Catania vs Siena preview - Maran keen to end on high

Catania coach Rolando Maran insists his side are motivated to end the season on a high, even if their European aspirations have suffered a setback in recent weeks.

The Sicilians have not won in five games, picking up just three points, and after losing 4-2 at AC Milan last weekend they have seen the gap to the top five grow to seven points.

That may be too much for them to bridge in just three games, but finishing as high up the table as possible remains an ambition which should drive them on to victory over Siena tomorrow.

"Among other things, if we finish inside the top eight it means we are seeded in the Coppa Italia next season and don't have to go through the early rounds," he said.

"We are motivated to end the season in as high a position as possible.

"This has got to be ingrained within us. We always have to look to do better to go into the history books of this club.

"(Marco) Capuano has said we have got to aim to get 12 points and that is something I have spoken to the team about. We cannot leave anything untried."

No fewer than half that many points are going to be needed by Siena if they want to avoid relegation to Serie B at the end of the season.

They find themselves two points adrift of safety and, in view of a make-or-break week with three fixtures, they retreated into a training camp near Rome to focus fully on the task in hand without any distractions.

All of their training sessions have taken place behind closed doors, with coach Giuseppe Iachini keeping his cards close to his chest.

Siena face local rivals Fiorentina in midweek before travelling to Napoli and hosting AC Milan in what promises to be a tricky conclusion to the season.