Cremonese vs Cagliari prediction, H2H and probable lineups - 8 January 2026
One of the fixtures of Serie A’s 19th matchday will take place on Thursday at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, where local side Cremonese will host Cagliari. Both teams started the new year with defeats and are now eager to get back to winning ways. Let’s take a look at the prospects for goals in this encounter, which offers promising odds for success.
Match preview
After a lively start to the campaign, Cremonese have notably slowed down, failing to win in their last four league outings and going 372 minutes without scoring in Serie A. The most painful blow came against Fiorentina, who sit at the bottom of the table—Davide Nicola’s men let a draw slip away in the dying moments. Their attacking problems are hard to ignore: the Vardy–Bonazzoli duo, so impressive in autumn, has gone silent.
Home form is also a concern—three defeats in their last four matches at the Giovanni Zini. Still, history on this ground favors Cremonese: they’ve beaten Cagliari three times in a row in Serie A here, netting eight goals in the process. However, the last of those wins dates all the way back to 1996.
Cagliari remain locked in a relegation battle, hovering just a few points above the drop zone. Despite last round’s loss to Milan, Fabio Pisacane’s team have shown real grit—either picking up points or losing by the narrowest of margins. A big boost comes in the return of Zito Luvumbo from AFCON, who can inject pace and aggression on the flank.
The visitors are severely depleted: besides the injured Belotti, Deiola, and Folorunsho, Sebastiano Esposito is a major doubt. The main hope up front rests on young Semih Kilicsoy. A win here could draw the Sardinians level with Cremonese in the standings—an extra incentive to fight for every ball.
Probable lineups
- Cremonese: Audero, Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti, Barbieri, Payero, Grassi, Vandeputte, Pezzella, Bonazzoli, Vardy
- Cagliari: Caprile, Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Palestra, Adopo, Prati, Mazzitelli, Obert, Gaetano, Kilicsoy
Match facts and head-to-head
- Cremonese haven’t scored in Serie A for 372 minutes.
- Cagliari have lost their last three matches in Cremona by a combined score of 8-2.
- Both teams kicked off 2026 with defeats and sit in the bottom half of the table.
Prediction
This is a clash between two sides struggling for attacking inspiration and lacking consistency. Cremonese are at home but stuck in a prolonged slump, while Cagliari picked up momentum at the end of 2025. Under these circumstances, a draw with few goals looks the most likely outcome.
