On paper, it would be a no-brainer on Saturday afternoon at the "Vanni Sanna" stadium (2:30 p.m.), as Torres is bottom and faces the second-placed team, which has four times the number of points and goals scored. Yet, never before has the team had the city behind it. Organized fan groups have hung giant banners at strategic points around Sassari: "Everyone to the Aqueduct" (the stadium's former name) and "Sassari, don't look back, Torres must stay up!"

Coach Alfonso Greco himself appreciated the gesture and declared: "I saw the banner and I had a great feeling, of energy, of a lot of stuff. It's an important signal that the fans are giving us and we hope to repay them with our performances and results."

The difference in the standings isn't taken into consideration: "We need to harness the fans' energy and the anger over results lost after good performances. We know we're up against a team built to go all the way in the league, and we all need to be ready to play both defensively and offensively."

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