Cagliari will welcome Hellas Verona to Sardegna Arena on Monday in a battle between two sides looking to escape the Serie A relegation mix.
The two teams are coming into this match off defeats and they are both two points above the drop zone.
Match preview
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Cagliari's four-match unbeaten streak came to a halt before the international break, as they fell 1-0 to Monza at the U-Power Stadium.
The unbeaten run had lifted Claudio Ranieri's men from second-bottom to 15th. However, the defeat saw them drop a place to 16th heading into gameweek 30.
Following the Monza loss, Cagliari risk losing two consecutive Serie A games without scoring for the first time since March 2022. Back then, under Walter Mazzarri, they lost three consecutive league games without finding the net.
The Rossoblu are winless in their last eight league meetings with their Monday opponents (D3, L5) and have failed to score in three of the last four encounters.
However, they are unbeaten in their last two home games and will be looking to capitalise on their recent home form to bounce back quickly when they host Verona on Monday.
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Verona's winning run also came to an end, as they fell 3-1 to Milan at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi before the break. They remain in 15th place, one spot above Monday's opposition and just two points above the relegation zone.
Despite this, the Gialloblu will head into the match against Cagliari feeling like favourites, given their strong record against them. Since the 1994-95 season, Verona have won 10 of their 17 top-flight encounters against the Rossoblu, which is more than against any other team.
Furthermore, after winning the last two meetings between the two sides, Verona could win three games in a row against the Sardinians for the second time, having done so between 1973 and 1976.
Having won their last away match against Lecce, the Gialloblu can also win two consecutive away matches in Serie A for the first time since March 2022. They will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run against Cagliari to four away games, having won two and drawn one of their last three trips to Sardegna Arena.
However, their away record this season is a concern. Marco Baroni's men have only collected nine points from 15 away matches this season.
Team News
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Marko Rog (ACL) and Andrea Petagna (muscle) are not available for Cagliari, while Leonardo Pavoletti (foot) and Marco Mancosu (foot) are doubtful.
Gianluca Lapadula is expected to lead the line on Monday, while Zito Luvumbo could return to the starting to line up after missing the last couple of games with a thigh injury.
For Verona, the duo of Tomas Suslov (ankle) and Juan Manuel Cruz (muscle) are sidelined with injuries.
Dutch striker Tijjani Noslin, who found the net against Milan last time out, is expected to lead the attack while Michael Folorunsho provides support.
Darko Lazovic and Karol Swiderski should start from the right and left side of the three behind the striker.
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Scuffet; Zappa, Mina, Dossena, Augello; Nandez, Makoumbou, Deiola; Luvumbo, Gaetano; Lapadula
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Tchatchoua, Magnani, Dawidowicz, Cabal; Duda, Serdar; Suslov, Folorunsho, Lazovic; Noslin
We say: Cagliari 0-1 Hellas Verona
Historically, Verona thrives against Cagliari, boasting an impressive eight-game unbeaten streak against them in Serie A, including five wins. They are also unbeaten at the Sardegna Arena in three successive matches and we think history might be a factor here even though Verona have struggled on the road this season.
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