Napoli in search of back-to-back victories in Cagliari trip.

2024-09-15

As Cagliari search for their first win of the season against a historically dominant Napoli at the Sardegna Arena, the Islanders hope to break their lackluster home record, while Conte’s resilient Azzurri aim to continue their winning form and avoid a third consecutive draw away.

Cagliari

Winless in their first three games [0W, 2D, 1L], Cagliari, sitting in 17th place, have found it challenging to hit their stride early in the season. Their latest setback, a 1-0 loss to Lecce, occurred despite having a numerical advantage in the second half after Patrick Dorgu’s red card in stoppage time of the first half.

Cagliari will be aiming to secure their first win of the season when they host Napoli on Sunday. Historically, the Islanders have struggled against the Blues, claiming just one win in their last 26 Serie A encounters [1W, 8D, 17L], with that sole victory coming in 2019. Their last home victory against Napoli dates even further back to 2009.

Despite the challenging fixture, Cagliari has managed to draw six of their last nine home games in Serie A, although they've only kept a single clean sheet in that streak. To stave off another defeat, manager Davide Nicola is likely to field a 3-5-2 formation, with Roberto Piccoli and Zito Luvumbo spearheading the attack.

The team is relatively free of new injury concerns, with only Giuseppe Ciocci doubtful for the upcoming clash.

Napoli

In their last match against Parma, Napoli found themselves trailing after Ange-Yoan Bonny's penalty in the 19th minute put Parma ahead. However, a red card to Parma's goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in the 75th minute opened the door for Napoli’s comeback, with stoppage-time goals from Romelu Lukaku and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealing the win.

Conte, though frustrated by the recent transfer market troubles, praised his team’s resilience. “We take these three points knowing full well that we have to work after this absurdity of the transfer market,” he said.

Historically, Napoli has dominated this fixture, losing just 14 in 74 Serie A meetings against Cagliari, with 33 wins and 27 draws. Among the teams they’ve faced at least 50 times in the top flight, Cagliari represents Napoli's lowest percentage of defeats.

Additionally, the Azzurri have won six of their last eight away trips to the Sardegna Arena, scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game. However, their last two away matches against Cagliari ended in draws, and they will be aiming to avoid a third consecutive away draw against the Islanders, a streak they haven’t experienced since 1976.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, fresh off an impressive performance for Georgia during the international break, is expected to lead the attacking line alongside David Neres and Lukaku in Conte’s 3–4–3 formation.