David Flower
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches of the 33rd round of the Italian championship will be played on Monday evening at the 'Unipol Domus' arena, where the local Cagliari will host Fiorentina. I suggest betting on goals in this match with good odds.
Match preview
Davide Nicola's men stumbled again — in the last round, Cagliari was powerless against Inter's onslaught, losing away 1-3. Thus, the Sardinians have been without a win in seven of their last eight Serie A rounds, limited to three draws and four defeats. Moreover, this is the first time in the last five matches that the team conceded more than one goal.
In the table, Cagliari still hovers in 15th place with 30 points, and their defense at home leaves much to be desired — 24 goals conceded, with only three elite teams performing worse in this regard. Nevertheless, at their home arena, the club appears more combative: unbeaten in four of the last six matches (three victories and one draw), giving fans at least some hope for a positive season finish.
In the last round, Raffaele Palladino's men failed to break Parma's defense at home — a goalless draw was the result of a rather sticky contest. Despite this, Fiorentina extended their unbeaten Serie A run to four matches (two wins, two draws). However, for the first time in the last six rounds, the Florentines left the field without scoring.
In the standings, the 'Viola' are eighth with 53 points, but their position cannot be called comfortable. Particularly worrying is their away form — in the last eight away Serie A matches, the team won only once, collecting just two points in the other seven games (two draws and five losses).
Probable lineups
- Cagliari: Elia Caprile – José Luis Palomino, Yerry Mina, Gabriele Zappa – Michel Adopo, Nadir Zortea, Antoine Makoumbou, Tommaso Augello, Prati – Florinel Coman, Roberto Piccoli
- Fiorentina: David de Gea – Marin Pongracic, Pablo Mari, Luca Ranieri – Dodo, Nicolo Fagioli, Danilo Cataldi, Rolando Mandragora, Fabiano Parisi – Albert Gudmundsson, Moise Kean
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first round, Fiorentina defeated their opponent 1-0
- Fiorentina has beaten Cagliari in 4 of the last 5 matches, never losing
- The bet on 'Total over 2.5' has played out in three of the last five encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers give a slight advantage to the guests in this pair and offer odds of around 2.50 for a 'Viola' victory. Fiorentina scores regularly and in their last 12 away games, they left the field goalless only twice. However, the 'Viola' are not known for their reliable defense. We believe it is worth taking 'Both teams to score' at odds of 1.89.
