Udinese will be looking to inflict more damage to Cesena’s survival hopes when they travel to Stadio Dino Manuzzi to take on Domenico Di Carlo’s men in Serie A on Sunday afternoon.
The Cavallucci Marini currently sit 19th in the Serie A table ahead of only Parma and are seven points from safety with fourteen games left.
Cesena’s perilous position is largely down to their miserable defensive record having conceded 47 goals this season, a record matched only by Roberto Donadoni’s troubled side.
There have been some signs of life recently, however the two wins in their last six games and a heartening draw with Juventus may be too little, too late.
If the hosts’ season has picked up ever so slightly after a bad start, the visitors’ season has been the direct opposite having got progressively worse after a very good start.
Five wins and a draw from the Zebrette’s opening eight games prompted hope of a challenge for European qualification however since beating Atalanta towards the end of October, Stramaccioni’s men have won just twice.
Udinese may sit eight points above the relegation zone but if that kind of form continues they could yet be dragged into a fight for survival.
To compound Cesena’s current misery they have never beaten Sunday’s opponents in six previous meetings and only taken a point from them on one occasion.
The glimmer of hope comes from the fact that point was earned this season in a 1-1 draw at Stadio Friuli.
Di Carlo is without the suspended trio of Luigi Giorgi, Stefano Lucchini and Massimo Volta as well as a long injury list that includes the likes of Luca Valzania, Riccardo Cazzola and Nico Pulzetti.
Stramaccioni on the other hand has less to worry about with no suspensions and only Alexandre Geijo and Maurizio Domizzi unavailable through injury.
Form Guide: Cesena (L-W-W-L-D-L) Udinese (D-D-W-D-L-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Cesena: Leali; Perico, Capelli, Magnusson, Renzetti; Carbonero, De Feudis, Ze Eduardo; Brienza, Djuric, Defrel
Udinese: Karnezis; Heurtaux, Danilo, Piris; Widmer, Kone, Guilherme, Allan, Pasquale; Thereau, Di Natale
