By beating Cremonese, Bologna has done Cagliari a favor, leaving them three points ahead of the third-bottom Grigiorossi ahead of Saturday's direct clash at the Unipol Domus .
It will be a sort of playoff , without forgetting Lecce, who have the same number of points as Cremonese and a game in hand; tomorrow they host Atalanta . Regardless of how the match at the Via del Mare goes, Saturday's game (3 p.m.) represents a crucial turning point for Cagliari's championship, as they must overcome the worst period of Pisacane's management.
A little over two months have passed since January 31st: Cagliari dominated Verona (4-0), took home their third consecutive victory after those against Juventus and Fiorentina, and reached 28 points in 23 matchdays, placing them in twelfth place, +11 on third-last Fiorentina , who yesterday with a win in Verona completed their comeback by overtaking the Sardinians, now sixteenth.
Since then, there have been two draws and six defeats, four goals scored and 13 conceded . And it hasn't been a difficult schedule: among others, there has been a home defeat against Lecce, yesterday's defeat against Sassuolo, and the heaviest defeat, away to a Pisa side practically condemned to Serie B.
To overcome the crisis and focus on Saturday's relegation play-off, the team will go on retreat . Pisacane's men will meet on Easter Monday afternoon to resume training and then remain in Assemini until Saturday to maintain their concentration .
Pisacane is struggling: "We no longer have the carefree attitude of the first few months. I apologize to the fans who came all the way here," he said yesterday after the fourth consecutive defeat. The coach dodged questions about a possible meeting with president Giulini. The club's confidence remains, and his job isn't at risk for now, but a possible defeat against Cremonese would require some consideration .
(Unioneonline/L)