Serie A strugglers Cagliari will host an in-form Juventus side in the hope of causing a big upset, while the Turin giants are looking to chase down the top order.
Fabio Pisacane has a big task on his hands about keeping Cagliari afloat in Serie A for a third consecutive year as he prepares for the game against Juventus this weekend. Ahead of their big match at home against an in-form side, there is plenty of work ahead for the Serie A strugglers before they can breathe a sigh of relief.
Relegation is a real threat for the hosts, given they are currently in 16th spot, with the five-point buffer over 18th-placed Fiorentina needing some context. La Viola have the quality to challenge for a top four or five place in the division, meaning they can turn the relegation battle on its head, and their recent form has shown plenty of promise, which does threaten Cagliari in a big way.
The win over Torino to end 2025 is their only victory in six Serie A outings is also a cause of concern for the hosts. Moreover, Cagliari have not beaten Juventus in their last nine outings, while conceding at an alarming rate against the visitors will also be something that Pisacane will want to address, and an upset on Saturday will help their cause to stay alive in a big way.
Meanwhile, Luciano Spalletti’s arrival and the subsequent revival of Juventus have somewhat gone under the radar. The last time the Bianconeri were out on the pitch, they recorded their biggest top-flight win since 2018 when they thrashed Cremonese with a 5-0 scoreline.
It was a game that showed that Juventus were truly rejuvenated under Spalletti, who has brought about a knack to score regularly as well as solidify their defence. One of the key aspects of the backline conceding less and keeping five clean sheets in seven games across all competitions is the return of key man Gleison Bremer, who opened the scoring against Cremonese last time out.
Now, in the title race, Juventus are still seen as outsiders, and remain seven points behind leaders Inter Milan, having played 20 games so far. The topsy-turvy nature of Serie A does offer hope, and Spalletti would want his Juventus side to maintain consistency, especially when many of their top rivals drop points every now and then.
Team News & Tactics
Cagliari
Cagliari will enter this game on the back of a few injury issues, with Andrea Belotti, Mattia Felici, Michael Folorunsho, and Alessandro Deiola all missing. Yerry Mina is also a significant doubt for this clash, as Fabio Pisacane is expected to go with a back three of Sebastiano Luperto, Adam Obert, and Juan Rodriguez.
Matteo Prati will sit at the base of the Cagliari midfield with Gianluca Gaetano and Michel Adopo on either side of him. Pisacane is widely expected to make some key changes to the squad following the draw with Genoa, which saw his forwards fire blanks.
The attacking area will be a key part of his changes, as Semih Kilicsoy and Gennaro Borrelli are vying for starts. Similarly, Sebastiano Esposito and Zito Luvumbo are keen to occupy the supporting role for the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Caprile; Luperto, Obert, Rodriguez; Palestra, Gastano, Prati, Adopo, Zappa; Esposito, Kilicsoy
Juventus
The big concern over at Juventus ahead of the game against Cagliari is the fitness of star man Kenan Yildiz, with the Turkish international and top scorer missing the midweek clash with flu-like symptoms. There is hope he could make the trip down south, but Luciano Spalletti will keep other options on standby.
Should Yildiz fail to recover, then Francisco Conceicao will be in frame to start; however, the in-demand Turkish attacking sensation is still the favourite to recover and return this weekend.
Federico Gatti is reportedly close to returning to action, but the injured duo of Dusan Vlahovic and Daniele Rugani are set to miss out. The returning defender will be a boost for Juventus against Cagliari, but he is unlikely to be in the frame to start games at the moment.
Another positive from Juventus’s recent good spell is the return to form for Jonathan David, with the misfiring striker scoring two goals in as many previous games. The Canadian could be preferred to Lois Openda at the moment, with the Belgian likely to assume a bench role.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Miretti, Yildiz; David
Key Stats
- Juventus have won 15 of their last 18 matches against Cagliari in all competitions.
- Juventus have scored at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches against Cagliari in all competitions.
- Cagliari are winless in their last nine games against Juventus.
- Cagliari have recorded only two wins on home soil all season.
Player to Watch
Gleison Bremer
Bremer’s timely return has coincided with Juventus returning to top form and conceding fewer goals of late. The Brazilian has been a key figure for the team since he arrived from Torino a few seasons ago, and he will be instrumental as the Bianconeri are hopeful of mounting a title challenge of their own.
Bremer’s leadership at the back will be key for Luciano Spalletti’s side to achieve anything meaningful. Hence, the game against Cagliari away from home is where the Juventus manager would want players like the Brazilian to make their mark and shine, as the defender is the man in focus.
Prediction
Cagliari 0-2 Juventus
Cagliari could continue their dreadful form against Juventus heading into Saturday, and they will come into this clash as underdogs. The Serie A strugglers are under severe pressure to deliver results to keep the gap between themselves and the relegation zone at a relevant level, but things are not looking good.
Meanwhile, Juventus are probably one of the most in-form sides in Serie A at the moment, and they could assert their dominance away at Cagliari. The Bianconeri are the overwhelming favourites for the win, and they might keep a clean sheet at the end of it.