Cagliari vs Palermo preview - Festa ready to fight for survival

Posted Saturday, May 16, 2015 by PA

Cagliari host Palermo on Sunday knowing that anything other than a win would see them relegated from Serie A.

With three games remaining, the Sardinian club find themselves in 18th place, eight points from safety.

Cagliari must win at the Stadio Sant'Elia and hope that Atalanta, who hold the last position of safety, lose against Genoa to have a fighting chance to avoid the drop.

"My players want to honour this jersey and they will fight until the end," Cagliari coach Gianluca Festa told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We want to continue to battle knowing that our destiny is not in our hands."

Festa replaced Zdenek Zeman at the helm last month and has led Cagliari to two wins and just one defeat in his four games in charge.

Cagliari held Italian champions Juventus to a 1-1 draw in Turin last weekend to maintain their faint hopes of avoiding the drop.

"There are still nine points available and, until the numbers say otherwise, we are still in the battle to defend our Serie A status," Festa said. "We have to win against Palermo.

"It's going to be a battle from start to finish and I'm sure my players will give all that they have to take three points."

Cagliari have won just three games at home but take on a Palermo side who have won just twice on the road.

Palermo travel to Sardinia having already assured themselves of top-flight football next season.

The Sicilian outfit, who gained promotion to Italy's top flight last year, have 43 points in the bank and go into the contest on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Atalanta.

Eleventh-placed Palermo, coached by Giuseppe Iachini, are in the middle of a four-match winless run.