PRESS ROOM | Coach Pisacane on the eve of the match

On the eve of Cagliari vs. Atalanta, Rossoblu coach Fabio Pisacane analyzes the team’s current form and presents the match against Unipol Domus. Kick-off is at 6:30 PM on Monday, April 27, with coverage live on DAZN.

THE OPPONENT
“Elimination from the Coppa Italia? It always depends on how you react. We should expect Raffaele Palladino’s Atalanta to be at their best. Compared to the first leg, I see a more mature team in managing moments and the season. They have plenty of options in every department, and they’ll definitely come here to continue cultivating their European ambitions. We know we have our destiny in our hands. There are fewer and fewer games left, and points matter. If we get them, we worry less about our opponents. Otherwise, we need to look elsewhere as well. Physically, we managed the week by restarting on Monday, taking a break on Tuesday—to avoid three consecutive days off—and then working on a five-day mini-cycle the following days. We need to improve to be ready for this final push.”

ATTACKING CHOICES
“Esposito is a striker, but he’s also very willing to make sacrifices, and he’s found a different dimension by staying more involved in the game. Often in this championship, we’ve only had two strikers to manage; it all depends on the players you have in your squad and their physical condition. We’ve recovered almost all of them (Pavoletti and Felici are out, as well as Mazzitelli and Idrissi), and we’ll look for the best solutions from the start and throughout the game, taking into account their condition and the game plan.”

INDIVIDUALS
“Semih comes from another country and with a very different culture than ours. We pampered him because he needed our affection and the support of the entire team, regardless of whether we let him play or not. He needs to make a significant step forward, not technically, but in other ways. He’s pushed harder this week, so the message has gotten through. The lads need to be encouraged and even challenged, in a positive sense: he needs to bring more intensity to training. This is a difficult championship; he had a moment of great enthusiasm and then a decline in condition, partly due to Ramadan. We had him do individual training, and he’s improving physically. I hope he can settle in better than he did in recent games. Zappa? He’s earned everyone’s respect through hard work and over the years. He’s available for tomorrow and can help us, as always. I know what he can bring in terms of technical, tactical, and charismatic qualities. Dossena comes from a long period of inactivity: he had 6-7 games of consistent use, then he missed “One game due to suspension, and against Sassuolo I chose other central defenders, and things went well. I see him as similar to Mina and an alternative to Yerry. We also have a young player like Rodriguez who is continuing his development. Being a natural left-footer, he pairs well with a central defender like the Colombian or the Milanese player in managing the depth. Against Cremonese, the choice was technical, but from now until the end, Dossena can still be useful because there are important matches ahead, and every moment can determine the outcome of our journey.”

MENTAL STRENGTH
“Goals conceded early in a match or at the start of the second half are often the result of a mental deficiency. It’s something that’s been repeated and undoubtedly needs to be taken into consideration. This is more of a mental issue than a physical one. We’re still paying for the sub-optimal condition of some players, but I believe that indicators of something physically unstable are repeated injuries or cramps at the end of matches; this has never happened before. We definitely need to improve our focus and concentration. Our team has never slacked in terms of application and dedication to work, but certain lapses in form are costly in Serie A when you’re facing opponents with a high-level engine and you try to play through transitions.”