Udinese vs Cagliari – News and Probable Lineups

Following their exhilarating 5-3 defeat to Inter de Milão on Monday, Udinese will return to Serie A action at Bluenergy Stadium as they face fifth-placed Cagliari in the fifth round.

Currently sitting in 13th place, the Bianconeri surrendered their 2-0 lead against the defending league champions but are hopeful for better fortunes this Saturday as they take on a Cagliari team looking for their third straight victory.

Match overview

It appeared to be a dream start for Kosta Runjaic’s Udinese as they surged to a 2-0 lead within just 16 minutes at San Siro, trying to defeat the Nerazzurri for the second time in three years.

However, Inter responded swiftly, equalizing only 20 minutes later after Jurgen Ekkelenkamp had extended Abankwah’s early strike, leading to the champions asserting their dominance.

Despite Maduka Okoye’s impressive performance in the Udinese goal, making seven crucial saves, he was unable to prevent many of the goals from the home side, culminating in a disappointing 5-3 loss for the Little Zebras.

Returning to the comfort of their home ground this weekend, the Friulani may find some relief in playing Cagliari, who have not enjoyed a victory over them in Serie A since a 1-0 win in Udine back in 2021.

Since that narrow defeat, Udinese has secured five victories from the subsequent eight encounters, winning three of the last five.

It is noteworthy, however, that only one of those recent three victories was achieved at Bluenergy Stadium, where Cagliari managed to leave with two draws during their last three visits.

Fabio Pisacane will likely take note of this stat as his side prepares for this weekend’s clash with the Bianconeri, trying to achieve three Serie A victories in a row.

This achievement was recently accomplished with 2-1 wins against Torino and AC Milan, along with a 1-0 victory over Parma in August, and they will be looking to replicate this success in the same season for the first time since January this year, when they triumphed over Juventus, Fiorentina, and Hellas Verona.

So far, Pisacane’s squad has benefited from their tendency to maintain close matches, with their three victories against Parma, Lecce, and most recently Torino all being narrow wins, while their only loss this season came against Inter, which finished 1-0 in favor of the Nerazzurri.

Whether this strategy will hold up this weekend remains uncertain, but the prevailing idea suggests that a tight approach provides a solid foundation against any opponent.

Pisacane’s team has won three of four to kick off the new season and if the tail end of the last campaign is included, they’ve claimed six wins from their last seven matches, putting the in-form Sardinians in perhaps their best position in five years to overcome their Udinese counterparts.

Team News

Udinese has injuries to Matteo Palma (muscle), Oumar Solet (muscle), Alessandro Zanoli (ACL), and Juan Arizala (thigh), while Nicolo Zaniolo, who has been sidelined since August, could be in the mix to return this weekend in some capacity.

Jakub Piotrowski underwent heart surgery earlier this month after his appearance in the September 7 loss to Lazio, and he’s anticipated to be out until after the international break.

On the field, Keinan Davis has provided assists in three consecutive matches in September—against Venezia, Lazio, and Inter—and his dual threat could prove vital against Cagliari.

For the visiting Sardinians, Daniel Maldini has scored in back-to-back games and is eager to make an impact again following match-winning goals against Lecce and Atalanta.

Paul Mendy is expected to partner Maldini in attack, with the forward coming into this weekend having netted twice in his last three outings.

M’Bala Nzola, Mattia Felici (ACL), Yael Trepy, and Riyad Idrissi (ACL) are unavailable for this game as Cagliari travel to Udine in round five.

Udinese probable starting XI:

Okoye; Abankwah, Kabasele, Ebosse; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Miller, Kamara; Gomez, Ekkelenkamp; Davis

Cagliari probable starting XI:

Caprile; Pedro, Deiola, Rodriguez, Obert; Adopo, Winks, Romano, Fazzini; Maldini, Mendy

Despite Udinese’s strong recent history in this fixture, their concerning defensive vulnerabilities make them susceptible against one of Serie A’s most formidable teams currently.

Consequently, Pisacane’s resilient Cagliari team possess the confidence and tactical discipline necessary to end their five-year wait for a league win over the Bianconeri and secure all three points at Bluenergy Stadium.