The past two weeks for Catania have been a surprise, but for once, it isn’t a negative one. They still haven’t won since January 6th and have just four victories all season, but the Rossazzurri have managed to come together again at a vital time in their season.
Their 3-3 draw against Livorno was disappointing in the way that it was attained. The individual mistakes and poor goalkeeping cost them a win, but their attack came alive, scoring three goals for the first this campaign. Gonzalo Bergessio, Francesco Lodi, and Pablo Barrientos were at the forefront, much like they’ve been over the last couple of years.
They followed that up with a 0-0 draw at Parma. Yes, it was only a point, but it’s another confidence boost for many reasons. The first one being that the Elefanti were a lot more composed in defence and didn’t surrender many chances. The back line kept the likes of Antonio Cassano, Jonathan Biabiany and Marco Parolo at bay.
Parma attempted just seven shots, only two managed to find the target. The three players above only mustered two attempts combined. If Amauri were to be added into that mix, it goes up to five, but the amount of chances that troubled Mariano Andujar remains at two.
The latter was another big contributor to the draw. Andujar, who was recalled from Napoli due to Alberto Frison’s injury, was magnificent on Sunday. He was confident on crosses, he communicated well with his defence, it was an all-around brilliant performance from the Argentinean shot-stopper.
Obviously the attack wasn’t as strong as it was against Livorno the previous week, but it’s not like they didn’t try. Catania had 19 shots in that match, impressive as they had just one point away from home prior to that game. The Etnei are usually dominated outside of the Angelo Massimino, they almost never control those matches.
All that’s missing is that final touch, which is the most difficult: Finishing. The Rossazzurri proved that they can do that against Livorno, but that was a one-off. In their next match against Lazio at home, it’s a golden opportunity to get a win. The Biancocelesti have improved under Edy Reja, but they probably won’t pose much of a threat up front. That’s why the attack must be clicking.
Earn a win there, get a point against either Chievo or Genoa, then suddenly Catania are out of the relegation zone. The last three games has shown steady improvement, starting with the 0-0 against Inter. Now coach Rolando Maran has to capitalize on this increase in morale.
March 23rd may end up being Catania’s next difficult fixture. They host Juventus that day, but five matches separate themselves from that weekend. The round prior to that is a date with fellow relegation candidates Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium. That will be the day when everyone finds out if the Sicilians will climb out of this predicament.
If their attack is gelled properly, if the defence stops making mistakes and the goalkeeping is confident, then Catania will survive. It’s looking good right now.
