The Matchday 18 Serie A clash between Cagliari and Inter will take place on December 28 at the Unipol Domus Stadium. Cagliari vs. Inter: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Daniele Doveri (Italy)
Matches – 6 (Serie A, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 14;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.3;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 17%.
Predicted lineups for Cagliari vs. Inter
Cagliari (3-5-2): Ales Sherry – Gabriele Zappa, Yerry Mina, Sebastiano Luperto – Nadir Zortea, Anthony Makumbu, Michel Adopo, Alessandro Deiola, Tommaso Augello – Gianluca Gaetano, Roberto Piccoli.
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer – Yann-Aurel Bisseck, Carlos Augusto, Alessandro Bastoni – Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco – Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram.
Each team's lineup reflects their starting XI from their last match in this tournament.
Cagliari
In the previous round, Davide Nicola's side suffered a 1-2 away defeat to Venezia. This loss marked Cagliari's third consecutive defeat and their ninth of the current Serie A season. Moreover, the club conceded more than one goal for the first time in four league matches. In the standings, the team is in the relegation zone with 14 points, sitting in 18th position.
Defender Yerry Mina and forward Zito Luvumbo will miss the match due to injuries.
- The team has not won 10 of their last 12 home Serie A matches (5 draws, 5 losses).
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 5 of the club's last 7 home league matches.
- Cagliari has not scored more than one goal in 7 of their last 9 home Serie A matches.
Inter
Simone Inzaghi's side defeated Como 2-0 at home in the previous round. As a result, Inter extended their unbeaten run in the league to 11 matches (9 wins, 2 draws). Moreover, the team has won their last four Serie A matches, scoring 16 goals in the process. The Milanese sit in third place in the standings with 37 points, trailing leaders Atalanta by three points with a game in hand. Notably, the club has the best goal difference in the current championship (+27).
Defenders Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, and Benjamin Pavard will miss the game due to injuries.
- The club has not lost in their last nine away Serie A matches (6 wins, 3 draws).
- The team has kept a clean sheet in four previous away league matches.
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 7 of Inter's last 9 away Serie A matches.
Cagliari vs. Inter: Match Prediction
In the current championship, the Sardinians have not been reliable defensively and often make costly mistakes, even at home. In nine home matches this Serie A season, Cagliari has only kept a clean sheet twice – against Verona and a struggling Roma. Moreover, in 5 of their last 7 home league matches, the club has conceded at least two goals.
Inter rarely struggles with scoring, even in away fixtures: the team has not left the field without scoring in any of their last nine away Serie A matches. In seven instances during this period, the Milanese have scored at least twice.
Considering that Inter has scored at least twice in their last four encounters at Cagliari's ground in the league, my prediction: Inter ITB 1.5
