Cagliari aiming to secure survival in Como

Saturday’s action on matchday 36 in Serie A Enilive will kick off at the Sinigaglia. Cesc Fabregas’ men, who are already safe and have beaten Monza, Torino, Lecce, Genoa and Parma in their last five matches, are aiming for three more points against Cagliari to write another chapter in their story. The Sardinians lost their last match – against Udinese – but remain seven points above the relegation zone. With nine points left to play for, they’ll secure mathematical survival with a win.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Como and Cagliari have met seven times in Serie A: three wins for the Lombardi, two for the Rossoblù and two draws. Cagliari are one of only eight teams against which Como have won 100% home games in Serie A (3/3). Among these sides, only against Palermo and Triestina (four both) have Como played more matches on their own patch in the competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

Como have won each of their last five Serie A matches, conceding only one goal in the process. Amongst newly-promoted teams, the only side to win more successive games in the competition was Lazio in 1973 (eight in that case). Como have won their last two Serie A home matches, both 1-0 (against Torino and Genoa), and neither in the top-flight this season nor in 2002/03 have they won three home games in a row, with the last time coming in October-November 1984. Cagliari have lost three of their last four Serie A matches (W1), as many defeats as they suffered in their previous eight matches in the competition (W2 D3). Cagliari won their last Serie A away game (2-0 against Hellas Verona) and could win back-to-back matches on the road for the first time in the competition since September 2019, against Parma and Napoli in that case. Como are one of three teams, alongside Napoli and Inter, to have scored the most goals from high turnovers in Serie A this season, six goals from 43 total shots, the best tally among the three teams. Como have conceded the fewest goals by percentage in the first half of Serie A matches in this season, only 33% (16 goals conceded out of a total of 48).

PLAYERS

Gabriel Strefezza - five goals and four assists in Serie A this season - has been directly involved in a goal in each of his last three top-flight appearances (two goals, one assist). He’s never recorded a goal contribution in four successive matches in the competition (also three between September and October 2022). Nadir Zortea has scored six goals in Serie A this season, two more than he netted between 2021/22 and 2023/24 in the competition. Excluding forwards, the last Cagliari players to score more goals in a single top-flight season were Massimiliano Cappioli and Vittorio Pusceddu (both seven in 1992/93).

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: Da Cunha, Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Moreno Sergi Roberto, Strefezza, Kempf (Como); Luperto, Marin, Mina, Obert, Pavoletti, Zappa (Cagliari)

REFEREE

FOURNEAU (SCATRAGLI – CAPALDO) IV: GALIPO’, VAR: GARIGLIO, AVAR: AURELIANO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Cagliari-Venezia Hellas Verona-Como (Photo Getty Images)