Fresh from winning their eight Coppa Italia, Inter will be looking to pick up where they left off in midweek away to Cagliari. With Inter’s hopes of defending the Scudetto for the first time in 12 years in jeopardy, the Sardegna Arena could be in for another dramatic Serie A night.
Cagliari needed Giorgio Altare’s last-gasp equaliser to hold 17th-placed Salernitana to a 1-1 draw on Alessandro Agostini’s touchline debut last time out. Despite arresting a run of two consecutive league defeats, the Sardinians head into the penultimate round of fixtures languishing two points adrift of safety.
Like Cagliari, Inter are in desperate need of points, albeit for different reasons. A potential failed attempt to take home all three points will render their stunning 4-2 extra-time victory over Juventus in midweek Coppa Italia action near-meaningless, with Inter’s Scudetto bid on the line.
Simone Inzaghi’s men come into proceedings trailing pacesetters Milan by two points. If the Rossoneri beat Atalanta at home and Inter fail to grab a victory in Sardinia, one of the most enthralling Serie A title races in recent history will get its epilogue today.
But the travelling fans will hope for a different scenario.
Match Preview
Cagliari
Cagliari’s underwhelming run of seven defeats from eight Serie A matches between the start of March and the end of April saw the Sardegna Arena hierarchy relieve legendary head coach Walter Mazzarri of his duties on May 2. The relegation threat is imminent as only perfection until the bitter end will likely be enough to see the Sardinians have any chance of extending their top-flight stay.
After racking up just one point from their last three Serie A home meetings with current top-four sides, Cagliari enter this matchday as outsiders. Adding to this sentiment, except for a hard-earned 1-0 win over mid-table Sassuolo in mid-April, they have gone winless in six of their last seven Serie A home outings (D2, L4).
Cagliari’s recent Serie A record against Inter does not offer much hope. They have lost eight of their last ten league meetings with the defending Italian champions (W1, D1), including an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter
Inter pulled off a sensational comeback to beat Empoli 4-2 in their most recent Serie A fixture despite trailing 2-0 within the opening half an hour of play. Inzaghi’s lads have now won six of their last seven league matches (L1), netting a resounding average of 2.5 goals per game in that sequence.
Inter’s Serie A matches following cup competitions have often spelt trouble for the Nerazzurri, as they’ve registered just seven victories in their last 13 immediately after a Cup round (D5, L1). That should not be the case here, given that they’ve been victorious in five of their six previous league visits to Cagliari (L1).
In addition to their eye-catching exploits at Sardegna Arena, Inter have suffered just one defeat in their last 13 Serie A games on hostile turf (W7, D5). Conceding first may not be the end of the world for the visitors, who have averaged a high of 2.20 points recovered after letting in the opening goal away from home this Serie A season.
Cagliari vs Inter Team News
Serbian goalkeeper Boris Radunovic will serve a red-card suspension, while Uruguayan midfielder Nahitan Nandez remains on the sidelines with an injury.
Inter will be without bit-part midfielder Matias Vecino to injury. But Inzaghi will have the remainder of his squad fit and ready.
Cagliari Potential Starting XI
(3-5-2): Alessio Cragno, Luca Ceppitelli, Matteo Lovato, Giorgio Altare, Raoul Bellanova, Kevin Strootman, Alberto Grassi, Razvan Marin, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Leonardo Pavoletti, Gaston Pereiro.
Inter Potential Starting XI
(3-5-2): Samir Handanovic, Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni, Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ivan Perisic, Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko.