Cagliari defender Davide Astori has urged his team-mates to dig deep to continue their good run of results against Palermo tomorrow.
The Sardinian outfit are in red-hot form having claimed five victories in their last six matches - with their only loss being a narrow 4-3 defeat to AC Milan.
Their last week's 2-0 win over Juventus lifted them to seventh in the standings and are considered the form team apart from Inter.
Cagliari will be looking to end Palermo's unbeaten home record tomorrow. Lino Marzoratti will not make the trip to Palermo while Nene and Federico Marchetti are doubtful.
The Rosanero have lost all but two of their matches on their travels but it is a different story on their own turf where they have not lost since March.
However, Javier Pastore is confident they can still pick up the points tomorrow as they look to improve on their 14th place in the standings.
Rossi has a much lengthier list of absentees.
Captain Fabio Liverani is suspended as is top goalscorer Fabrizio Miccoli while Moris Carrozzieri is still serving his ban for cocaine use.
Davide Succi and Mark Bresciano are both rated as doubtful with injuries.
REVIEW:
Palermo went behind in the 24th minute when Alessandro Matri netted for Cagliari.
But they scored twice in the space of ten minutes in the second period to gain a much required victory at home. First Igor Budan scored in the 55th minute and then Simon Kjaer netted the ball on 65 minutes.
The hosts were rampant in the opening exchanges with only the brilliance of Cagliari goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli keeping them at bay. His work started in the first minute with a full-length save preventing Antonio Nocerino from scoring a 30-yard screamer.
Lupatelli excelled again three minutes later after a swift Palermo counter-attack culminated in a Budan shot. Cagliari finally emerged as an attacking force after 11 minutes, Andrea Cossu whipping in a dangerous cross which Matri was inches away from converting.
Having spent most of the opening 24 minutes on the back foot, Cagliari promptly burst forward and took the lead.
Cossu picked out Matri, who skipped past Mattia Cassani before lobbing a neat finish over home keeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Cagliari almost doubled their advantage three minutes later with a Daniele Dessena drive skimming the Palermo bar.
The home side were struggling to get out of their own half with Daniele Biondini next to try his luck from 20 yards with an effort which also whistled inches wide of the target.
Delio Rossi's side regrouped and finished the first half on the front foot, Edison Cavani heading wide from close range while Federico Balzaretti then crashed a cross-cum-shot over the bar.
Cagliari had the first chance of the second half, Cossu shooting wide from close range.
It proved to be a costly miss as Palermo stormed back.
They levelled after 55 minutes when Budan fired into the top corner from 20 yards, giving Lupatelli no chance.
And they then went ahead 10 minutes later.
Giulio Migliaccio whipped in a corner and Kjaer rose highest to plant his header into the right corner.
Migliaccio's delivery from set-pieces was causing the Cagliari backline all sorts of problems and his free-kick almost provided a third for the home side but Javier Pastore headed wide.
Lupatelli remained Cagliari's shining light and he came to his team's aid once more with 13 minutes to go, his save keeping out Cesare Bovo's curling free-kick.
Unfortunately for the visiting goalkeeper, it proved to be his final act as an ankle injury forced him off with six minutes to go. And with coach Massimiliano Allegri having used all his substitutes, it meant Cagliari had to find the equaliser with 10 men.
It proved to be beyond them although they came close.
Bovo almost gave them a helping hand in the final minute, his back header requiring a fine save from Sirigu before Nene also tested the Palermo goalkeeper from 25 yards.