Preview: Cagliari vs. Juventus – prediction, team news

In per week after they crashed out of the Champions League, under-performing Juventus should instantly bounce again at relegation battlers Cagliari on Sunday, in the event that they want to retain any faint hope of retaining the Scudetto this season.

It might not be an easy activity both, as their Sardinian hosts have gained two of their first three video games with new supervisor Leonardo Semplici on the helm and are in want of factors to maintain their heads above water within the combat for Serie A survival.

Match preview

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Drawing stinging criticism from throughout the Italian sports activities media and such luminaries as esteemed tactical masterminds Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, Juventus not solely went out of Europe on away targets to Porto in midweek, but in addition didn’t capitalise on Mehdi Taremi‘s dismissal earlier than the hour mark – with what in the end turned out to be an extra hour nonetheless to play, together with additional time.

The repercussions of the Serie A champions’ failure will posit each psychological and bodily issues to resolve in sharp order for rookie coach Andrea Pirlo. With former Milan and Italy coach Sacchi labelling Pirlo’s crew as “missing in depth, organisation and motivation,” there may be a lot work for them to do to be able to rescue a irritating marketing campaign.

Having benefited from a uncommon relaxation in the course of the first hour of Juve’s medical 3-1 win over Lazio final Saturday – which advised that issues have been set truthful for his or her upcoming European engagement – prime scorer Cristiano Ronaldo additionally obtained uncommon criticism for turning his again within the defensive wall at a free-kick, main on to Porto scoring.

Owing to rookie coach Pirlo’s experimental and typically indecipherable strategy, the Bianconeri are nonetheless trying to find consistency, however had nonetheless conceded solely six targets of their earlier 13 video games in all competitions earlier than imploding on Tuesday – regardless of a long-running harm disaster in defence. Not solely that, however Juve have gained their final seven residence matches in Serie A, scoring at the least twice on every event.

In truth, all season lengthy, Juventus have proved a troublesome proposition in Turin, with ten wins and two attracts from 13 league contests on the Allianz Stadium proving the very best residence file on the peninsula. On the highway, nonetheless, they’ve solely the fifth-best factors tally within the prime flight – with some 14 factors fewer than Milan away from residence.

Juve have, although, gained eight of their final 9 league matches in opposition to Cagliari both residence or away, protecting seven clear sheets in that spell of dominance. They’ve additionally restricted the Isolani to simply three targets in 9 matches since their return to the elite stage in 2016 – although two of these have been in a uncommon 2-0 win for the hosts on the Sardegna Area final season.

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Lastly making a big affect after his much-hyped return to the membership, Radja Nainggolan snatched a 2-2 draw for Cagliari with the final kick of the sport in opposition to Sampdoria final day out, taking his aspect two points above the Serie A drop zone and preserving their new supervisor’s unbeaten file since taking cost.

The Isolani’s hopes of salvation have obtained a significant increase up to now fortnight, as they secured successive league wins for the primary time for the reason that season’s opening weeks – with a victory over basement membership Crotone after which a win at residence to Bologna being adopted by that rescued level on the Marassi.

Lately put in head coach Leonardo Semplici has had an on the spot affect on the crew’s fortunes since changing Eusebio Di Francesco final month and has even described his wonderful begin to life within the Cagliari dugout as “unthinkable”.

Nonetheless, their present streak is to be put to the check on Sunday, because the reigning champions go to Sardinia, the place the hosts have already suffered seven defeats up to now. In truth, coming off a protracted barren spell below Di Francesco, they’ve gleaned solely 4 factors from their final 5 matches on residence soil. Moreover, in video games performed on the island, Cagliari have scored at a price of lower than one per recreation.

The one shining mild within the Rossoblu assault this time period has been the reliable Brazilian ahead Joao Pedro, who has scored at greater than 12 targets (13 in all) at this stage of a Serie A marketing campaign for the second season in a row. Having scored the early opener final weekend, it’ll certainly take some magical interventions from the previous Palermo ahead to topple even a tottering Juventus this day out.

Cagliari Serie A kind:

Juventus Serie A kind:

Juventus kind (all competitions):

Workforce Information

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Midfield mainstay Rodrigo Bentancur stays out of fee for Juventus, as he observes COVID-19 quarantine protocols following a optimistic check final week, whereas ahead Paulo Dybala shouldn’t be anticipated to make his return from harm till later this month.

Typically spectacular in his appearances as cowl for varied defensive absences, younger centre-back Merih Demiral will miss within the area of three weeks with a thigh pressure, so Matthijs de Ligt and Leonardo Bonucci might crew up within the centre of Andrea Pirlo’s defence. There’s some hypothesis, nonetheless, that the Bianconeri boss will shift to a again three, with the versatile Danilo transferring inside.

In the event that they do play a variation of 3-5-2, then Juan Cuadrado and Federico Bernardeschi can be favourites to begin at wing-back, with Weston McKennie coming right into a midfield three.

The house aspect’s Charalampos Lykogiannis and Leonardo Pavoletti are each unavailable this week as a result of suspensions for accumulating bookings, whereas Riccardo Sottil – coming back from a thigh pressure – defender Sebastian Walukiewicz and midfielder Marko Rog are all harm doubts.

Prone to proceed with the 3-4-1-2 that has served his aspect so effectively in his first few video games in cost, Cagliari coach Leonardo Semplici will likely change wing-back Lykogiannis and central striker Pavoletti with Gabriele Zappa and struggling striker Giovanni Simeone respectively.

On-loan Daniele Rugani is eligible, so is ready to begin within the centre of defence in opposition to his mum or dad membership.

Cagliari doable beginning lineup:
Cragno; Ceppitelli, Godin, Rugani; Zappa, Marin, Nainggolan, Duncan, Nandez; Pedro, Simeone

Juventus doable beginning lineup:
Szczesny; De Ligt, Bonucci, Danilo; Chiesa, Arthur, Rabiot, McKennie, Bernardeschi; Ronaldo, Morata

We are saying: Cagliari 0-1 Juventus

Cagliari merely don’t pose sufficient of an attacking risk to make the most of the champions’ present wobbles, with their woeful residence kind an element too.

As Leonardo Semplici’s unbeaten begin inevitably involves an finish, a slither of strain will probably be taken off the heavily-burdened shoulders of his youthful counterpart, Andrea Pirlo, who merely should do all inside his energy to avoid wasting each his aspect’s season and his personal job between now and Could.