Preview: Pisa vs Torino - prediction, team news, lineups

Rooted to the bottom of the Serie A table, Pisa hope their return from the international break sparks a turnaround in their bid for a rare relegation escape, and they will fancy their chances against an inconsistent Torino at Cetilar® Arena on Sunday.

The Black and Blues are seven points adrift of safety with just eight games left to play, while Toro sit 14th, six points above the drop and a sizeable 21 behind the top six.

Match preview

On the verge of an immediate return to the second tier, Pisa must overcome a daunting historical trend if they are to engineer survival, as no side at the bottom of the Serie A table after 30 rounds has stayed up since 1957-58.

That record appears likely to remain intact, given the Tuscany outfit have struggled to build sustained momentum, managing just two league wins all season (D12, L16), despite a recent managerial change.

Appointed in early February, Oscar Hiljemark replaced the dismissed Alberto Gilardino and has overseen just one victory in seven matches (D1, L5), with that sole success ending a 17-game winless streak courtesy of a win over Cagliari.

However, the Black and Blues failed to build on that result, suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat at Como before the international break, an outcome that further highlighted Pisa’s struggles under the Swedish coach.

The Tuscany side have now drawn blanks in five of their last seven matches, though they may take encouragement from scoring three goals in their most recent outing at Cetilar® Arena; victory on Sunday would also see Pisa record back-to-back Serie A home wins for the first time since 1990.

Torino, meanwhile, have not been immune to defensive issues themselves, conceding two or more goals in each of their last eight away matches across all competitions and failing to win the last six in that run (D1, L5).

The Bulls have conceded 53 league goals this season, with only Pisa (54) allowing more, suggesting this contest could be open at both ends.

Toro’s defensive frailties were again evident last time out, where goals from Giovanni Simeone and Nikola Vlasic proved insufficient, as the Turin club ended on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller at AC Milan, extending an inconsistent run.

Torino have alternated between wins and losses across four matches under Roberto D'Aversa – appointed in late February – having also lost eight of their 13 top-flight games (W4, D1) since the turn of the year.

Nevertheless, this fixture offers Toro an opportunity to improve their fortunes, given they have suffered just one defeat in their last 23 Serie A matches against newly promoted sides (W12, D10).

Torino are also unbeaten in their last four meetings with Pisa, though they failed to win the reverse fixture earlier this season, while the Bulls’ most recent visit to Cetilar® Arena ended in defeat.

Pisa Serie A form:

Torino Serie A form:

Team News

Pisa continue to deal with several absentees heading into this weekend’s encounter, with Daniel Denoon (ankle) and Simone Scuffet (muscle) sidelined since January and February, respectively.

Marius Marin and Isak Vural remain out with knee injuries, while Juan Cuadrado is a major doubt after missing the last two outings due to a stomach issue.

Forward Rafiu Durosinmi will serve the second game of his two-match suspension, though midfielder Michel Aebischer returns after missing the defeat to Como through suspension.

For Torino, forward Zakaria Aboukhlal is dealing with multiple injuries, the latest being a knee problem, ruling him out of Sunday’s clash.

Veteran striker Duvan Zapata could make way in attack after starting alongside Simeone last time out, with Che Adams pushing for a start after featuring as a substitute in that encounter.

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Nicolas; Calabresi, Canestrelli, Caracciolo; Leris, Aebischer, Akinsanmiro, Angori; Tramoni, Moreo, Stojilkovic

Torino possible starting lineup:

Paleari; Coco, Ismajli, Ebosse; Pedersen, Gineitis, Ilkhan, Vlasic, Obrador; Adams, Simeone

We say: Pisa 1-2 Torino

This contest has the makings of a high-scoring affair between two sides with among the worst defensive records in the division, though the difference in attacking output could prove decisive.

Torino have scored 34 league goals, 11 more than Pisa, and that added cutting edge may allow the visitors to edge a competitive encounter.

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