Cagliari vs Napoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-09-14 16:00.
[p]Cagliari will return from the international break with mixed feelings regarding their start to this season, drawing their opening two Serie A matches 0-0 and 1-1 against Roma and Como respectively, only to then lose 1-0 to ten-man Lecce. The Islanders will take encouragement from those two draws both coming at the Unipol Domus, but scoring just once in the league at any venue so far this campaign will have the home faithful worried. [/p]
[p]That potentially spells trouble for manager Davide Nicola with the impending arrival of Napoli, a team he has struggled against. Nicola had tasted defeat in his opening seven matches as a manager against the Partenopei before finally claiming victory in April this year at the eighth attempt, but that might not count for much as the visitors are now overseen by Antonio Conte, a man against whom Nicola has lost all three managerial duels to date. [/p]
[p]It seems to not matter which boss Conte lines up against when it comes to facing Cagliari, as he’s proven he firmly has their number, having lost only one of his 13 previous encounters against them (W9, D3). If that isn’t enough for the travelling fans to feel extremely confident, then their side’s recent record against their upcoming hosts should do the trick, since Napoli have lost just one of the last 26 H2Hs (W17, D8).[/p]
[p]The Blues also arrive in Sardinia off the back of consecutive victories over Bologna and Parma, the latter finishing in dramatic fashion as Napoli netted a 92nd-minute equaliser before finding the winner in the 96th minute. They’ll hope the international break hasn’t broken the momentum gained by that comeback as they hit the road, where they have struggled of late, winning just two of their last 15 away matches (D5, L8) and conceding first in ten of those games.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Zito Luvumbo could be Cagliari’s go-to man, since he’s netted the team’s opener in each of his last seven goalscoring outings, including at home to Napoli last season. His efforts may be in vain though if Romelu Lukaku continues his usual form when facing Cagliari, a club he’s scored against six times in seven prior personal meetings. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Cagliari have conceded at least once in 11 of their last 12 Serie A home games[/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]