Serie A

Cagliari vs. Udinese

Cagliari will host Udinese with the aim of taking a big step towards safety. The Friulani, meanwhile, are looking for their first win since 1 March

Together with Parma vs. Como, Cagliari vs. Udinese will get the Saturday action underway on matchday 35. Thanks to their victory in Verona, the Sardinians moved further clear of the relegation zone, meaning they have an eight-point cushion with twelve points left to play for. A win today would almost secure survival. Udinese, meanwhile, have picked up just two points from their last seven outings and, after their draw against Bologna, are eager to improve their tally in their final four fixtures.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

14th April 2018 is the last match in which Cagliari scored more than one goal against Udinese in Serie A (goals by Pavoletti and Ceppitelli); indeed, in the following 11 matches the Sardinians have scored six goals, failing to score in five of these. Udinese are unbeaten in their last five away games against Cagliari in Serie A (W3 D2), they have never had a streak of six away matches in a row without defeat against the Sardinians in the competition (five also between 1981 and 1993.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cagliari won their last league game (2-0 against Hellas Verona) and could win consecutive games in Serie A for the first time since March 2024 under Claudio Ranieri; in addition, the Sardinians have kept three clean sheets in their last five games, as many as in their previous 30 matches. Udinese have scored just one goal in their last six Serie A games and none in their last four; the last team that failed to score in five games in a row in a single Serie A season was Empoli, between August and September 2023. Cagliari with 26% (9/35) and Udinese with 25% (9/36) are the two teams with the highest percentage of headed goals in Serie A this season – in particular, one of the two players with the most headed goals in the current league season is Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca (five, level with Mateo Retegui).

PLAYERS

After his goal in the last match against Hellas Verona, Leonardo Pavoletti could score in consecutive Serie A games for the first time since December 2023, against Sassuolo and Napoli; his last home goal in the competition arrived against Sassuolo and he hasn’t netted in his last 19 appearances at Unipol Domus. Sandi Lovric - the most subbed-off midfielder in Serie A this season (having left the pitch 24 times), hasn’t been involved in a goal in his last 11 Serie A games, having scored a goal and provided an assist in the previous two.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: Ehizibue, Payero (Udinese) Cautioned: Luperto, Marin, Mina, Obert, Pavoletti, Zappa (Cagliari); Giannetti, Kristensen, Lovrić, Lucca, Karlstrom (Udinese)

REFEREE

FELICIANI (VECCHI – YOSHIKAWA) IV: MARCHETTI, VAR: PEZZUTO, AVAR: ABISSO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Como-Cagliari (Saturday 10 May, 15.00 CEST) Udinese-Monza (Sunday 11 May, 12.30 CEST) (Photo Getty Images)