Preview: Cagliari vs. Empoli – prediction, team news, lineups

Of Cagliari still looking for their first Serie A win and Empoli Both teams are defending undefeated records and the stakes are high when they meet on Friday night.

The visitors arrive in Sardinia with two Champions League games against clubs and a win against AS Roma, their home team having only achieved success in the Coppa Italia.

Match Preview

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Cagliari are yet to win in Serie A this season, having lost their last two games and having scored just one goal in four matches so far.

Last week, the Sardinian team lost 4-0 at home to Napoli after losing 1-0 to Lecce just before the international break, putting them one point above bottom side Venezia.

Rossoblu fans are used to slow starts. In Cagliari’s last two seasons in the top division, the club failed to win any of their first five league games. Last year, they scored just one goal after five rounds.

However, head coach Davide Nicola can rightly say that his team have been a bit unlucky: they have hit the crossbar more often than any other team – a whopping five times in four games – and have already equalled the number they had on Matchday 12 of last season.

Now Nicola faces the club he recently kept afloat in Serie A with a dramatic final-day escape, as Cagliari look for their first home win over Empoli in three games after failing to score in their last two.

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When these teams last met, Cagliari took the most points, winning 1-0 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani last season as both teams were in a desperate battle to avoid relegation.

Unlike Friday’s home team, Empoli are unbeaten this season, having advanced in the Coppa Italia and drawn three of their first four league matches.

That may seem like a modest achievement, but two of those clashes came against Bologna and Juventus – both of whom finished in the top five last season – and they also beat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Azzurri have never previously gone unbeaten in their first five Serie A games of a season, but that feat is now possible as Nicola’s replacement Roberto D’Aversa finally takes his place in the dugout after serving a suspension.

In preparation for next week’s Coppa clash against a strong Torino, the former Parma coach is keen to maintain the momentum by taking at least one point back to Tuscany.

Cagliari Serie A Form:

Cagliari form (all competitions):

Empoli Serie A form:

Empoli form (all matches):

Team news

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As he looks forward to facing his former club, Cagliari coach Davide Nicola could have a full squad at his disposal on Friday night, with midfielder Matteo Prati hoping to recover from an ankle problem.

After a heavy home defeat last time, summer signings Michel Adop And Nadir Zortea could be brought in to freshen up the home side’s starting line-up after being sent off in the dying minutes of the 4-0 defeat to Napoli.

In the front, Roberto Piccoli is supported by Zito Nicewho has been the Rossoblu’s most prolific attacker over the past year. However, the Angolan international has not been involved in a single goal in his last nine league games – his worst run in Serie A.

While Nicola has all his key men at his disposal, Empoli manager Roberto D’Aversa is still hampered by several absences: he will be without Samuele Perisan, Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi And Jacopo Fazzini due to an injury.

In better news for the visitors: Norwegian striker Ola Solbakken is expected to overcome a muscle injury and may start on the bench.

Now that Fazzini is out and Solbakken is unfit, Youssef Maleh and owned by Inter Milan Sebastiano Esposito must continue to supply AC Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo at the front.

Possible Cagliari line-up:
Scuffet; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Zortea, Marin, Deiola, Augello; Gaetano, Luvumbo; Piccoli

Possible line-up of Empoli:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Pezzella; Maleh, Esposito; Colombo

We say: Cagliari 1-0 Empoli

Only four league goals have been scored between these two teams this season, so it could well be that one goal decides the points.

Supported by the noisy home crowd, Cagliari can secure victory and narrowly beat the visitors from Tuscany.

For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scorelines and more for this match, click here.

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