Saturday’s Serie A action rounds off at the Allianz Stadium as Juventus and Cagliari go head-to-head for the first time since April 2022. Let’s look at our match preview for this contest.
Fabio Miretti netted his first senior goal for Juventus to catapult Massimiliano Allegri’s team to a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Fiorentina last weekend. Little did anyone at the Artemio Franchi know the young gun’s 10th-minute deadlock-breaker would determine the outcome, especially given the home side’s sterling performance.
It’s unfathomable how Juventus waltzed away from Tuscany with three points, considering they lamented just 32% possession of the ball and conceded a staggering 25 shots on goal. However, they held their ground in Florence to post a fourth consecutive league win ‘to nil.’ Since the last three have yielded an identical 1-0 scoreline, Juve would be wise to avoid getting complacent.
With only two points separating them from top-placed Inter, Juventus could temporarily climb to the summit with a win. But visiting Cagliari seem to be gaining a foothold in Serie A following a dreadful form at the start of their first top-flight campaign in two years. Claudio Ranieri’s men crawled out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 home win over fellow promoted rivals Genoa last weekend.
Gabriele Zappa’s maiden goal for the club inspired them to a second consecutive league victory following a frustrating nine-game winless Serie A start (D3, L6). Ranieri is not out of the woods yet, as his lads commence this round just a point clear of 18th-placed Hellas Verona.
Match Preview
Juventus
Although only Bologna (12) amongst the sides starting this round in the top eight have bagged fewer goals than Juventus (17), the record-time Italian champions are seemingly back in the Scudetto frame after three underwhelming campaigns. Much of the credit for their return to glory goes to a water-tight backline that has kept six consecutive league clean sheets in the build-up to this matchday.
Indeed, alongside Inter, Juventus boast the joint-best defensive record in Serie A this season, with only six goals conceded in the first 11 matches. It’s among the main reasons Bianconeri have emerged victorious in four league outings at the Allianz Stadium on the trot since a 1-1 draw against Bologna in their curtain-raising home fixture in August.
Player to Watch: Moise Kean
Frustration could be catching up with Kean, who has yet to get on the scoreboard in his eight Serie A outings this season. He was unlucky to see two of his goals disallowed by VAR in Juventus’ last home game against Verona. But he’s the one to watch out for this weekend.
Cagliari
Cagliari have turned a seemingly horrendous campaign upside down in less than seven days, racking up back-to-back Serie A wins and squeezing past Udinese in the Coppa Italia. Against this backdrop, the Sardinians haven’t fared well in hostile environments, going winless on all five league travels this season (D2, L3).
While turning those fortunes around in Turin, of all places, could be a turning point for the Islanders moving forward, it’s stretched. Not only have Cagliari lost their last six away matches against Juventus, but they also failed to get on the scoresheet on five occasions. Ranieri himself is hardly a fan of this trip.
The veteran manager has emerged victorious in just three of his 23 previous meetings with Juventus (D4, L16).
Player to Watch: Nicola Viola
Maybe it’s time for Ranieri to start his No 10 for a change. After coming off the bench to inspire Cagliari past Udinese in the cup game, Viola opened the scoring against Genoa, making it three goals and one assist in his last four appearances for the club.
Team News
Juventus have more than a few players in the infirmary. Alex Sandro, Danilo, Timothy Weah, and Mattia De Sciglio are out injured. Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are unavailable for selection for the infamous reasons.
As for Cagliari, Nahitan Nandez and Marko Rog are on the sidelines. Ranieri is still sweating over Elio Capradossi and Alessandro Di Pardo, who are dealing with minor fitness problems and may have to stay out to facilitate their recoveries.
Juventus vs Cagliari Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani; Andrea Cambiaso, Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, Fabio Miretti; Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean.
Cagliari (4-3-1-2): Simone Scuffet; Mateusz Wieteska, Alberto Dossena, Pantelis Hatzidiakos, Gabriele Zappa; Nicola Viola, Makoumbou, Matteo Prati; Marco Mancosu; Zito Luvumbo, Gaetano Oristanio.
Juventus vs Cagliari Prediction
On paper, this should be another day in the office for Juventus. However, the hosts’ wins have lacked conviction, while the visitors are on the path of redemption after a sluggish start. Allegri’s men should still run out victors, but we can envisage a dramatic contest.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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