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Cagliari’s coach, Davide Nicola, spoke after the last-minute draw at Marassi against the new Genoa led by Viera.

Davide Nicola, coach of Cagliari, spoke at a press conference after the 13th round match of Serie A against the new Genoa managed by Viera. The match at the Marassi ended in a draw (2-2) with the Sardinian club equalizing in the final minutes thanks to Piccoli’s penalty goal.

Cagliari, Nicola’s Words

A comeback point.

“We knew it would be a tough match. For us, it meant facing a notoriously challenging field because of the push from this crowd focused on helping the new coach and players. For us, it meant being in a position where the aggressiveness aspect had to be equal. The match result is fair with a draw, but for those of us fighting for certain positions, losing matches means throwing everything away. We need to improve at being more determined because being more aggressive makes a difference, especially because the conceded goal came right after.”

Too many goals conceded?

“I believe that if you look at the standings of the teams involved in the fight to avoid relegation, the problem of conceding goals is widespread. We need to improve to make it less easy for opponents to score. Today, the difficulty was thinking that they could use another way of playing, and for the most part, it happened. I’m sorry we didn’t find the advantage in our better moment. On the other hand, I’m satisfied that this Cagliari fights.”

Compliments from Giulini?

“It’s always nice when the president is satisfied. I’m not very enslaved by compliments; often I withdraw because I think about the final goal. Of course, I’m also interested in the ‘micro’ goals. This team manages to interpret two ways of playing.”

Mistakes in front of goal?

“There is more than one explanation. Gaetano has quality but needs the spark; he’s not frantic but can make better use of opportunities. We are building our numbers, creating a confident environment. In Gaetano’s two opportunities, in the first, Leali was crazy, and in the second, he could have done better.”

What’s missing for a win?

“We haven’t won in five matches, but we are collecting points. From the tenth team down, I don’t know how many teams have won as many matches. This is the championship for those fighting to stay in the category. We must respond with character, self-criticize when there’s room for improvement; it’s the only way we have to maintain Serie A. Today was a team we could have beaten but also lost to. Currently, it’s a very competitive championship.”

The goalkeeper’s choice?

“It’s interesting how any choice is interpreted. It’s not possible to evaluate the potential for the goalkeeper position in just one match. Today was an important match in a challenging context, and I believe he played a great game. It’s very likely that I will alternate the goalkeepers. I’m looking for the right level of energy in all the players. We’ll see who will continue to defend the goal. Cagliari comes first.”