Cagliari will host Hellas Verona on Friday evening at the Unipol Domus in a high-stakes Serie A clash between relegation rivals. Separated by just one point in the standings, both teams are fighting to escape the relegation zone as they grapple with defensive frailties and inconsistent form.
Match Preview
Cagliari’s Struggles and Resilience
Cagliari comes into this game with back-to-back draws, including a dramatic 3-3 tie against AC Milan and a late 2-2 equalizer at Genoa. Despite their leaky defense—conceding at least two goals in each of their last six matches—Cagliari has shown resilience. The Rossoblu have earned crucial points from losing positions this season, with only Lazio and Atalanta excelling in that area.
Currently sitting 16th in Serie A, Davide Nicola’s team faces a daunting December schedule, with Fiorentina and Atalanta looming. A victory against Verona, a direct relegation rival, is critical. Historically, Cagliari has dominated this fixture on home turf, winning nine out of their 10 league victories over Verona in Sardinia. However, their last four meetings on the island have failed to yield a win.
Hellas Verona’s Defensive Woes
Verona, sitting one spot above Cagliari, are struggling defensively, having conceded the most goals across Europe’s top five leagues this season. Last weekend’s 5-0 drubbing by Inter Milan highlights their vulnerability, with an alarming goals-against rate of nearly 2.5 per match.
Despite their defensive issues, Verona has an unbeaten nine-match streak against Cagliari in Serie A, their longest run against any opponent in the league. Head coach Paolo Zanetti faces mounting pressure, as defeat on Friday could see his team slip into the relegation zone by the weekend.
Team News
Cagliari
Head coach Davide Nicola has a fully fit squad to choose from. The main selection decision lies in goal, where Simone Scuffet could reclaim his starting spot from Alen Sherri.
Roberto Piccoli, who scored a crucial penalty against Genoa, will lead the attack against yet another of his former clubs. Though prolific in scoring, Piccoli is still seeking his first Serie A assist.
Hellas Verona
Verona will be without key players Juan Cruz, Ondrej Duda, and Martin Frese. However, Diego Coppola may return from injury to bolster the defense.
Against a less formidable opponent than Inter, Zanetti might revert to a four-man defensive setup, which could see one of Casper Tengstedt or Daniel Mosquera drop to the bench.
Predicted Lineups
Cagliari:
Scuffet; Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Augello; Marin, Adopo; Zortea, Gaetano, Luvumbo; Piccoli
Hellas Verona:
Montipo; Tchatchoua, Dawidowicz, Magnani, Bradaric; Belahyane, Serdar; Suslov, Harroui, Lazovic; Tengstedt
Match Prediction
Cagliari 2-1 Hellas Verona
Both teams struggle defensively, with Cagliari conceding the most goals from set-pieces this season and Verona leaking the most from open play. On home soil and buoyed by recent late comebacks, Cagliari has the edge. Expect the hosts to secure a narrow win and climb above Verona in the standings.
