Preview: Cagliari vs. Inter Milan – prediction, team news, line-ups

In the immediate aftermath of the Champions League heartbreak, the Scudetto’s chase Inter de Milan travel to Sardinia this weekend for Sunday’s clash with mid-table Cagliari.

Antonio ConteThe team crashed calamitously outside of Europe in the middle of the week, but has its eyes on closing the gap at the top of the Serie A table with city rivals AC Milan as they face off. to a home team that have failed to win in their last three league games.

Match preview

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Despite having a chance to be the first Inter team to make it out of the Champions League group stage since 2011-12, Conte’s team exited continental competition entirely with hardly a whimper. It was the third year in a row that they have come out of the European elite competition before the knockout phase.

The nature of Wednesday’s desperate goalless draw with Shakhtar Donetsk In a super-competitive Group B, also featuring Real Madrid and Borussia Monchengladbach, it will be difficult for the Nerazzurri to overcome in such a short time as they prepare to resume their fight for the Serie A title.

Handling just four shots on goal in 20 attempts summed up the efforts of a team that rarely seemed to break through the fierce defensive resistance of the Ukrainian champions. However, they have fared considerably better on goal in league action as Inter are currently the top scorer in the Italian top flight, with 26 in just 10 games.

In the era of three points to win, the star forward Romelu lukaku he has scored the highest average away goals in Serie A, with 18 goals in 23 games since he arrived last season, which is equivalent to 0.78 goals per away game. His relentless entry away from the San Siro should not only scare off the Cagliari defense, provided the Belgian forward does not have an unusual break this Sunday, but also helps explain why Inter are now undefeated in six league games.

Their last defeat was on October 17 in the Milan derby and subsequent results have lifted them to second place in the standings, some five points behind their fiercest rivals. Another victory at the Sardegna Arena this week is a must if you want to keep up with the frenetic pace set by Stefano piolifrom the side.

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Since Cagliari’s last victory in early November, they have suffered a defeat against Juventus followed by two consecutive draws, against Spezia and Verona.

Gli Isolani has scored 17 goals in the current league season; in their top flight history, they’ve only scored more once after the first 10 games of a season, so finding the net hasn’t been a big deal for Eusebio Di Francescoprogressive side.

Main man Juan Pedro has scored six goals and two assists so far, having been switched from a previous supporting role, while others, including Giovanni Simeone and former Napoli forward Leonardo Pavoletti have contributed on occasion. However, they have conceded 20 goals, at a rate of two per game, so far, which leaves them 11th on the table.

Interestingly, Pavoletti, who has a goal and an assist since recently replacing Simeone, has recorded three goals in four home games against Inter, including his last two games against the Nerazzurri, with Cagliari.

Their boss, Di Francesco, will demand more of the same from the once-international Italian international, offering a more traditional ‘number nine’ presence in the lineup, if his charges want to get even one point out of this ordeal of his commitment. at the beginning of attack.

The opposite number Antonio Conte will surely be like a wounded animal after a bitter failure in Europe and will order his team to unleash all their remaining energies in the porous defense of Cagliari.

Cagliari Shape Series A: WLWLDD
Cagliari form (all competitions): LITERATURE

Inter Milan Serie A form: WDDWWW
Inter Milan form (all competitions): WLWWWD

Team news

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Visiting director Antonio Conte must decide between Lautaro Martinez – who hasn’t hit the net in his last five outings – and Alexis Sanchez to collaborate with the trusty Romelu Lukaku, although the Anderlecht academy graduate may even have a break before his busy pre-Christmas schedule.

Midfielders Radja Nainggolan – on his return to his old club – Arturo vidal and Matias Neighbor is out due to Inter injury, while Nicolo Barella He played through an ankle injury on Wednesday and can do so again in Sardinia.

Roberto Gagliardini has proven to be a stabilizing influence since he returned to action, so he will again intervene for Vidal and, although Christian Eriksen was a rare midweek bright spark, once again having to settle for a spot in the well-stocked Nerazzurri bank.

Cagliari Ragnar Klavan and Zito Luvumbo stay out due to injury and veteran Diego Godin is absent for another positive COVID-19 test, but Giovanni Simeone and the Uruguayan Found Nandez and Gaston Pereiro they have recovered and may appear at some point.

Gabriele zappa, Joao Pedro and Riccardo sottil He should start behind Leonardo Pavoletti up front, but ‘Cholito’ Simeone could even pressure his substitute to start.

Possible starting line-up for Cagliari:
Cragno; Farago, Walukiewicz, Carboni, Lykogiannis; Marin, Rog; Zappa, Pedro, Sottil; Pavoletti

Possible starting lineup of Inter Milan:
Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Hakimi, Barella, Brozovic, Gagliardini, Perisic; Lukaku, Sánchez

We say: Cagliari 1-3 Inter Milan

Though weary and demoralized from their midweek tribulations in the Champions League, Inter can prove they are made of tougher things on Sunday as they must win to keep up with their closest rivals.

Lautaro Martínez and Alexis Sánchez can redouble their efforts to support the irrepressible Romelu Lukaku and should do so in Cagliari, but they expect the hosts to carry a significant, if not decisive threat at halftime.

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