Salernitana could suffer Serie A relegation when they travel to Frosinone in Friday's round 34 action at Stadio Benito Stirpe.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side are two places above the cellar-dwelling visitors, but 13 points separate both clubs heading into this weekend's fixtures.
Match preview
While Frosinone have not lost in Serie A for over a month, victories are needed for Di Francesco's men, whose top-flight status remains at risk.
The Canaries' last defeat was a 3-2 loss against Lazio on March 16, but four straight draws have prevented the 18th-placed side from leaving the danger zone.
Di Francesco's men gained creditable points at Genoa and Napoli, fighting back both times to pick up draws, but have fired blanks against Bologna and Torino. In all honesty, both were unsurprising given that Thiago Motta's team (joint-second-best defence) and Ivan Juric's side (fourth-best backline) have conceded 26 and 29 goals, respectively.
Thus, the Yellow and Blues will fancy themselves against a side that have let in 70 goals in Serie A this term, outdoing every other side after 33 games.
Having seen Lecce, Cagliari, Hellas Verona and Empoli secure pivotal points in the survival battle, Frosinine know full well that Friday is a must-win to boost their prospects of avoiding relegation to Serie B.
As for Salernitana, their top-flight fate could have been sealed on Thursday had Udinese defeated Roma in the final minutes of the pair's rescheduled fixture. However, a late Bryan Cristante header stalled the Salerno outfit's expected relegation.
The feeling that it only delays the inevitable is logical for a club without a win in Serie A since the backend of 2023 — a 1-0 triumph at Verona.
Unsurprisingly, Stefano Colantuono's side have the worst points return in 2024 in the top division, securing three points from an available 45 since the turn of the year. Furthermore, the Campania outfit have scored the joint-fewest goals this year (11) and have let in the most (34).
While Colantuono is new to the job, the 61-year-old Italian will be in situ when Salernitana's relegation is ultimately assured.
They could go down swinging and possibly take Frosinone with them, but that requires a club with one win in 25 road games in Serie A to come up trumps on Friday. Beating Di Francesco's men could be irrelevant if Udinese somehow stun Bologna two days later in Reggio Emilia as that outcome seals Salernitana's relegation.
Team News
A ligament injury has ruled out Sergio Kalaj for this season's entirety, and the defender is not expected to feature this weekend. While Abdou Harroui (thigh) is touch-and-go, Anthony Oyono (thigh) is unlikely to play any part.
Walid Cheddira has netted four times for Frosinone since the start of March, including a brace at parent club Napoli, and the forward aims to add to his six Serie A goals on Friday.
Nadir Zortea could add to his five assists from full-back since joining Di Francesco's side on loan from Atalanta in January, with his latest a pinpoint cross for Cheddira at the Maradona.
Lassana Coulibaly should return to the side's midfield after serving his suspension in round 33's loss against Fiorentina.
However, Antonio Candreva will not add to his 500 Serie A appearances this week following his fifth yellow card of 2023-24 against the Viola.
Giulio Maggiore and Grigoris Kastanos are expected to miss out because of knee injuries. Marco Pellegrino could deputise for Lorenzo Pirola if the latter has not recovered from the seeming thigh issue that saw him replaced against Vincenzo Italiano's side.
Frosinone possible starting lineup:
Turati; Lirola, Romagnoli, Okoli; Zortea, Mazzitelli, Barrenechea, Brescianini, Valeri; Cheddira, Soule
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Pierozzi, Fazio, Pellegrino; Sambia, Coulibaly, Basic, Bradaric; Ikwuemesi, Tchaouna; Weissman
We say: Frosinone 2-1 Salernitana
This one is complicated to predict for a couple of reasons: Frosinone are winless in 12, and Salernitana have not tasted victory in 16 matches. The hosts have not beaten the Granata in three competitive meetings (two draws), possibly making the away side favourites for Friday's game.
However, Di Francesco's men are fighting for their lives, and this match presents the Yellow and Blues their perfect opportunity to end that three-match streak without beating the Serie A bottom club. While a draw could be in the offing, we are sticking our necks out for a Frosinone victory that seals the away side losing their top-flight status.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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