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Perky Parma await Austria

Parma FC go into the home leg of their quarter-final against FK Austria Wien buoyed by an important victory.

Morfeo magic
Following last Thursday's 1-1 draw in Austria, Domenico Morfeo scored two goals and Fabio Simplicio added a third to ease coach Pietro Carmignani's relegation worries. Four players - Marco Marchionni, Matteo Contini, Paolo Cannavaro and Vincenzo Grella - missed the game through suspension but Contini and Cannavaro will be available at the Ennio Tardini along with defender Stefano Bettarini, who is expected to overcome a thigh problem. However, Grella and Marchionni are now injured, while 17-year-old midfielder Daniele Dessena serves a ban.

'Unimaginable results'
"I think we have played well every time in the UEFA Cup this season," Morfeo said. "I hope we will continue our run on Thursday. We really want to reach the semi-finals as nobody imagined we could achieve such results at the start of the season. We need the help of our supporters and I would like to see a full house because there is a semi-final at stake."

Title in sight
Austria quartet Libor Sionko, Michael Wagner, Fernando Troyansky and Didier Dheedene are all due back for the trip to Italy after missing Sunday's 3-0 triumph against FC Wacker Tirol through illness. Strikes from Ivica Vastic, Rabiu Afolabi and Markus Kiesenebner sealed a win which kept Austria within three points of Bundesliga leaders SV Pasching with a game in hand. A second title in three years is becoming a distinct possibility.

Janocko sidelined
Although goalkeeper Joseph Didulica is suspended for Thursday's tie, and Vladimír Janocko sidelined after surgery, forward Sionko, with five UEFA Cup goals to his name, should recover from flu to play. Austria know they need to score to stay in the competition. "We have to stay cool, that is the secret," said general manager Günter Kronsteiner. "Even if it is still 0-0 after 80 minutes, one shot can be decisive for us. I wouldn't be unhappy to score our goal in the final minute."