Inter Milan vs Cagliari preview - Ranieri remaining upbeat - 7M sport

Inter Milan vs Cagliari preview - Ranieri remaining upbeat



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Posted Saturday, November 19, 2011 by PA

Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri believes his team must remain positive heading into their game against Cagliari.

The Nerazzurri go into their home encounter well aware that anything but a win could see them fall into the relegation zone.

Inter are level on eight points with 18th-placed Lecce and have mustered just two victories in nine games so far.

"We have worked well during the international break," Ranieri said.

"We expect to win and begin to climb up in the standings."

The Nerazzurri, who won the Scudetto, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia in the 2009-2010 campaign under former coach Jose Mourinho, find themselves 13 points behind league leaders Udinese.

"Of course we believe it's possible to get into this season's scudetto battle," Ranieri said.

"It will be an incredible achievement if we manage it.

"We know this is a strange season and anything can happen.

"Our aim is to try to get in the scudetto race and as long as it's mathematically possible, then we can truly believe that it can be done."

Rivals Cagliari will look for an improvement under new boss Davide Ballardini when they make the journey to the San Siro.

Ballardini became Cagliari's third coach of the season when he was handed the reins of the team after Massimo Ficcadenti was released before the international break.

Cagliari have not won since October 2 and their 1-0 loss at Atalanta last time out saw them slip to 10th place.

"It's going to be a difficult game for us," Cagliari defender Gabriele Perico said.

"But we will not go out on the pitch already beaten.

"Just as like Inter, we also need three points and we will battle to bring home a good result."

The visitors will have to overcome the absence of defender Davide Astori and midfielder Andrea Cossu, who are both out injured.

Inter also have their share of injury woes with defender Lucio out with a left knee injury.

Lucio joins Julio Cesar, Maicon, Yuto Nagatomo, Diego Forlan and Sulley Muntari on the sidelines.



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