Atalanta (probable): Coppola; Rivalta, Capelli, Pellegrino, Bellini; Ferreira Pinto, Tissone, De Ascentis, Langella; Doni, Floccari

Прогноз Kappara.ru : Фора 1 (0) 1.45 , тотал больше 2.0

Serie A Week 23 - 17/2/08 (14.00 UK)
Fiorentina - Catania
Stadio Franchi
Fiorentina and Catania will both be desperate to pick up as many points as possible when they meet at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Week 23, even if they are in very different League positions. The Viola are hoping to qualify for Champions League this season, while the Rossoblu are slipping down the table and need to avoid relegation. The Etnei will be looking for their first win ever in Florence. In last year’s encounter they were hammered 3-0. The Tuscans have had a great start to the season, but were defeated by Milan in Week 21 and were held to a 2-2 draw by Atalanta last week. However, the Fiorentini will be confident of victory against struggling Catania. The Sicilians haven’t won a game in the last six which has spoiled their position in the table. Despite playing well against Inter on Sunday night, the Rossoblu were punished by a controversial Esteban Cambiasso tap in and were defeated 2-0. Viola Coach Cesare Prandelli will be able to count on Romanian ace Adrian Mutu, who has recovered from his knee injury. Prandelli will have to do without Fabio Liverani and Tomas Ujfalusi though. Alessandro Potenza should replace the Czech international, while Dario Dainelli will play in the centre. Newly signed Manuel Da Costa will have to wait for his Viola debut. Marco Donadel should play in midfield alongside Riccardo Montolivo and Zdravko Kuzmanovic, who should keep his place in the side. The hosts’ trident will probably be formed by Argentine winger Mario Alberto Santana, Giampaolo Pazzini and Mutu. Christian Vieri and Franco Semioli will be out instead. Rossoblu boss Silvio Baldini has some important absences to deal with. Strikers Giuseppe Mascara, who picked up an injury against Inter, and Takayuki Morimoto are out. In defence Rocco Sabato is also injured, while Christian Terlizzi has been temporarily suspended by the board due to his unprofessional behaviour. The Sicilians’ attacking package should be formed by Giuseppe Colucci, Gionatha Spinesi and Jorge Martinez, who is not 100 per cent fit but should make it for the game. Keep an eye on: Giampaolo Pazzini (Fiorentina) – The 22-year-old striker scored against Atalanta last weekend. His partnership with Mutu and Santana is constantly improving and may lead to more success on Sunday. Last season: Fiorentina 3-0 Catania Form guide: Fiorentina (W W W L D) Catania (D L D L L)
Fiorentina (probable): Frey; Potenza, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual; Kuzmanovic, Donadel, Montolivo; Santana, Pazzini, Mutu Catania (probable): Polito; Sardo, Stovini, Silvestri, Vargas; Baiocco, Edusei, Tedesco; Colucci, Spinesi, Martinez

Прогноз Kappara.ru : фора 2 (+2) 1.38

The stage is set at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for the Derby della Lanterna between Genoa and Sampdoria. The usually tense encounter should be even more so with the two teams already aware they could be in close competition for places come the end of the season.

The Rossoblu start as slight underdogs, but it will be a highly unpredictable clash with both teams looking to succeed. The Blucerchiati were boosted by last week’s win over Napoli and will be looking for a victory over their city rivals.

In Week 4 the Derby ended in a goalless draw, but it should be a much more entertaining game this time around.

Genoa have been particularly surprising so far. After being promoted from Serie B they have reached ninth in the table, above experienced contenders such as Lazio and Palermo. Sampdoria, meanwhile, have gone even further. The Blucerchiati are seventh and could qualify for Europe at the end of the season.

Grifoni boss Gian Piero Gasperini claims his men have what it takes to beat Sampdoria. The Coach is still undecided whether to line up with a 4-4-2 or a 3-4-3 formation. However, he should be opting for the latter.

The Genoani will be without Gleison Santos and Giuseppe Sculli, who are both suspended. Ivan Juric and Omar Milanetto are in competition for a place in midfield, but the Croatian is the preferred option. After netting his second goal of the season, Marco Di Vaio should get a starting place, while Honduran star Julio Leon may be left out.

Sampdoria boss Walter Mazzarri should reconfirm last week’s winning line-up. The only alteration should be Luigi Sala in place of suspended Davide Gastaldello. Gennaro Delvecchio will be the trequartista while Antonio Cassano and Claudio Bellucci will form the attacking duo.

Vincenzo Montella will be sad to miss this tie. The Blucerchiati legend started his career at Genoa before joining Doria. The Derby has always meant a lot to him and he will be cheering for his teammates from the stands.

Keep an eye on: Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria) – The Bari born striker has claimed he wants to stay at Marassi forever and will be looking to become a Doria legend by scoring a winner against Genoa on Sunday afternoon.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Genoa (W W L W D) Sampdoria (W D W L W)

Genoa (probable): Rubinho; Bovo, Lucarelli, Criscito; Konko, Paro, Juric, Fabiano; Rossi, Borriello, Di Vaio

Sampdoria (probable): Castellazzi; Campagnaro, Sala, Accardi; Maggio, Palombo, Delvecchio, Franceschini, Pieri; Cassano, Bellucci

The pressure is on inconsistent Napoli as they host an Empoli side looking to build on a confidence-boosting win over Lazio in this Stadio San Paolo clash.

Napoli have settled into the middle of the pack on their Serie A return, but a good month could put them in European contention and a bad one could see them hurtling back towards the dreaded abyss of Serie B. While most Azzurri fans would happily accept a period of consolidation, President Aurelio De Laurentiis sees things differently and is heaping the pressure on Coach Edy Reja to deliver a UEFA Cup berth.

Having humbled Udinese at the Stadio San Paolo in Week 21, the away day blues sounded again as the Partenopei fell 2-0 at Sampdoria. The Vesuviani have mustered just one win on hostile soil all season and need to keep delivering in front of their passionate tifosi if they are to avoid going into freefall. Empoli at home is a must-win and any other outcome will see storm clouds gather over Reja.

Things have been bleak for Empoli this term, but the light appeared at the end of the tunnel with a heroic win over Lazio last weekend. The Tuscan minnows won’t enjoy the luxury of salvation with fingernails intact, but the belief is back and a side packed with youth is starting to ripen.

The Empolesi need to start picking up points away from the Stadio Castellani and, like Napoli, have triumphed just once on their travels this season. A miserly total of four goals scored on the road explains the shortage of points, but it’s a problem that Coach Alberto Malesani will be confident of addressing with the talented Azzurrini combination of Sebastian Giovinco and ex-Napoli boy Nicola Pozzi raring to go.

However, the first meeting between the two sides finished 0-0 and Empoli may accept a repeat, as they have never won in Naples.

Napoli’s biggest absentee is Uruguayan international striker and Empoli old boy Marcelo Zalayeta. Another ex-Empoli man Andrea Cupi is also sidelined along with goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo and Hungarian stopper Gyorgy Garics. Matteo Contini is suspended.

Empoli have been dealt a big blow with the suspension of flair player Ighli Vannucchi. Experienced cogs Francesco Pratali, Daniele Adani, Antonio Busce’ and Georgian young gun Levan Mchedlidze are all injured.

Keep an eye on: Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli) – The Argentine striking star blows hot and cold, but he is the kind of man that can turn a game with flashes of pure genius as he did a fortnight ago against Udinese.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Napoli (L D L W L) Empoli (D L L L W)

Napoli (probable): Gianello; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Domizzi, Savini; Blasi, Pazienza, Hamsik; Mannini; Sosa, Lavezzi

Empoli (probable): Bassi; Raggi, Marzoratti, Piccolo, Antonini; Abate, Budel, Moro, Marianini; Giovinco, Pozzi

Serie A draw specialists Torino will look to keep a rare winning streak going when they travel to Tuscany for a tricky encounter with Siena. Just four points separate the sides at present, but a victory for the home side will cut the gap to one and drag the Turin outfit right back into the relegation mire.

Incredibly, only the top five have lost less League games than Torino this season, but the Granata’s tendency to draw games – their tally currently stands at 12 from just 22 matches – means that they have been unable to mount the UEFA Cup bid which the fans had hoped for. Nonetheless, Coach Walter Novellino will argue that it’s better to finish all-square than to lose.

However, the former Samp boss will probably be regretting his decision to argue with the referee during the Week 22 clash with Palermo, as he was sent to the stands and has been handed a two-match touchline ban. He’s not the only bad boy at Toro though, as Gianluca Comotto and Aimo Diana are also suspended. Marco Motta and David Di Michele are the men to benefit, with Alessandro Rosina dropping into midfield in order to make space for the latter up front. Cesare Natali and Eugenio Corini are also tipped to return to the side in place of Salvatore Lanna and Simone Barone.

Siena aren’t expected to make as many adjustments, and who can blame Mario Beretta? His boys thumped Roma in Week 21 and were desperately unlucky not to take anything away from their game at Milan last time out. So the tactician is likely to make just the one change to his starting line-up, as Simone Vergassola is banned after receiving a harsh red card for a handling offence against the Rossoneri. Manuel Coppola, who joined from Genoa in January, is tipped to make his second appearance for the Bianconeri.

Previous meetings between the sides since Torino’s return to Serie A in 2006 have typically been low-scoring affairs. Both matches last term went Siena’s way, with Mario Frick’s double securing a victory in Turin and Luca Antonini’s lone goal proving to be enough in Tuscany. Honours were even in the only other top-flight clash between the sides, which took place earlier this season.

Keep an eye on: David Di Michele (Torino) – Came off the bench to defeat his former club Palermo last time out. Can he push on and show the form that we all know he is capable of?

Last season: Siena 1-0 Torino

Form guide: Siena (L W L W L) Torino (L L D W W)

Siena (probable): Manninger; Rossettini, Portanova, Loria, De Ceglie; Jarolim, Codrea, Coppola; Locatelli; Maccarone, Frick

Torino (probable): Sereni; Motta, Di Loreto, Natali, Pisano; Lazetic, Grella, Corini, Rosina; Stellone, Di Michele

Прогноз Kappara.ru : ничья , обе забьют , х2 и Торино забьет 1.45

Serie A Week 23 - 17/2/08 (14.00 UK)
Reggina - Udinese
Stadio Granillo
Struggling Reggina welcome Champions League hopefuls Udinese to the Stadio Granillo on Sunday with both sides hoping to snap their two-game losing streaks. The home side’s slack run has seen them slide down to second from bottom, while the Zebrette are now five points behind Fiorentina. Pasquale Marino’s boys will probably have to be content to slug it out for a place in the UEFA Cup after punching above their weight for much of the campaign, but even that is an improvement on the dismal displays in recent seasons. It’s hard to be too critical of their recent form though, as they have faced three of Italy’s top four sides – even managing to hold Inter to a draw – in recent weeks and were unlucky not to come away with more points. However, if they’ve found goals hard to come by of late then things are likely to get better before they get worse. Fabio Quagliarella, who is the club’s joint-top scorer along with Antonio Di Natale on seven goals, is suspended after picking up one booking too many, so his place in the attacking trident goes to Simone Pepe – who is back from a ban himself. It’s not all bad though, as star stopper Dias Felipe returns from yet another suspension to replace Andrea Coda at the heart of the defence. Reggina boss Renzo Ulivieri has done a decent enough job at the helm since replacing rookie Massimo Ficcadenti after 10 games, but thus far it has not been enough to get the club out of the drop zone. However, victory this weekend is likely to do just that and relegation is by no means a foregone conclusion, with any of the bottom nine sides having to stay on their guard if they are to avoid the dreaded trapdoor to Serie B. Ulivieri is boosted somewhat by a lack of selection problems, with the only change from the side who lost against Roma likely to see Francesco Cozza step in for Edgar Baretto. Emil Halfredsson’s continued injury absence is a slight headache, but the tactician has some excellent firepower in reserve if the likes of Fabio Ceravolo, Franco Brienza and Luca Vigiani aren’t firing, as top scorer Nicola Amoruso and new boy Stephen Makinwa are both likely to be among the substitutes. Surprisingly, Reggina have had the upper hand when it comes to meetings between the sides in recent years. Prior to their victory earlier this term, Udinese hadn’t beaten the boys from Reggio Calabria since 2004. Reggina had won three on the bounce before last season saw both games finish 1-1, with both of the Zebrette’s goals being scored by players no longer at the club – Sulley Muntari and Vincenzo Iaquinta. Keep an eye on: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) – Lit up the clash in Friuli with two goals of the highest order and, with Quagliarella suspended, will need to be on top form once again. Last season: Reggina 1-1 Udinese Form guide: Reggina (D W D L L) Udinese (W L D L L)
Reggina (probable): Campagnolo; Lanzaro, Valdez, Aronica, Modesto; Missiroli, Cozza, Tognozzi; Vigiani, Brienza; Ceravolo Udinese (probable): Handanovic; Zapata, Felipe, Lukovic; Ferronetti, Inler, D’Agostino, Dossena; Pepe, Floro Flores, Di Natale Прогноз Kappara.ru : сенсационная победа Реджины , тотал матча больше 1.5 1.45 Serie A Week 23 - 17/2/08 (14.00 UK) Palermo - Cagliari Stadio Barbera Francesco Guidolin and his team of “little girls” face a decisive match in their season, as failure to beat bottom of the table Cagliari could well see him sacked. On Tuesday President Maurizio Zamparini flew in for a brief but intense talk with the squad and was expected to fire the Coach after insulting him in the Press. Among other choice quotes he called the players “little girls” and said he was going to give them all “a kick in the backside.” Guidolin has to be on his last chance after losing four of the last five games, but he couldn’t be in a worse situation going into this game, as Fabrizio Miccoli, Amauri and Roberto Guana are all suspended. This leaves precious few options upfront, so Edison Cavani should get space a fortnight after a touchline row with the tactician, backed by Mark Bresciano and Bosko Jankovic. Cagliari would have been easy pickings a month ago, but for the first time this season they have gone three games on the trot unbeaten. It would be remarkable if the Sardinians managed to avoid relegation after such a disastrous start, but they are still propping up the table. Joaquin Larrivey looks set to keep his place upfront despite a disastrous performance where he was booed off the field last week. Jeda scored his first goal for the club in that 1-1 draw with Parma and receives support from Pasquale Foggia. History is on Cagliari’s side, as they haven’t lost here since December 2004 and came away with a splendid 3-1 victory last season, albeit aided by Giuseppe Biava’s first half dismissal. The record between the teams at the Barbera is totally balanced with two wins and two draws apiece. Keep an eye on: Alberto Fontana (Palermo) – His spectacular saves, including a Francesco Tavano penalty, have been the only things keeping the Rosanero afloat. Last season: Palermo 1-3 Cagliari Form guide: Palermo (L L L W L) Cagliari (L L W D D) Palermo (probable): Fontana; Zaccardo, Biava, Barzagli, Balzaretti; Simplicio, Migliaccio, Caserta; Jankovic, Bresciano; Cavani Cagliari (probable): Storari; Ferri, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, Parola; Foggia, Jeda; Larrivey Прогноз Kappara : Палермо больше 1.0 1.37