Pisa vs Cagliari: prediction, head-to-head and probable lineups – 15 March 2026
The 29th round of the Italian Serie A will take place on Sunday, March 15, at the "Arena Garibaldi" stadium in Pisa. This is a showdown between teams from the lower part of the table, with the hosts desperately fighting for survival and the visitors aiming to secure their spot in mid-table.
Match preview
Pisa is this season’s main outsider. Not long ago, the club even had to change their head coach as things were going from bad to worse. Swedish manager Oscar Hiljemark replaced Alberto Gilardino at the helm. The team sits rock bottom in 20th place (15 points) and has only one win in 28 rounds. Things are dire for the Tuscans: they’re currently on a four-game losing streak, including a recent thrashing by Juventus (0–4). Pisa has scored the fewest goals (20) and conceded almost the most (48). Their biggest issue is poor finishing and lapses in concentration at the end of matches, as seen against Bologna, where they conceded the decisive goal in the 90th minute.
There’s also no stability in attack. While Stefano Moreo does his best to drag the team forward (5 goals), he’s sorely lacking support from teammates. For Pisa to snatch any points against Cagliari, they’ll have to park the bus and hope for a miracle or a set piece, as they consistently lose out in open play by every metric.
Cagliari, under Fabio Pisacane, sits 15th (30 points). The Sardinians are relatively comfortable, with a five-point cushion above the relegation zone, but their recent results have taken a downturn. After a series of draws, they lost at home to Como in the last round (1–2). Pisacane’s approach focuses on ball control and active wing play, with Sebastiano Esposito being a standout—though he’ll miss this game due to suspension.
Cagliari is dealing with its own personnel issues. Besides Esposito, the participation of key defender Yerry Mina and striker Andrea Belotti is in doubt. Still, even with some squad rotation, Cagliari’s squad quality is objectively higher than Pisa’s. The Sardinians know that facing the league’s bottom side is their best chance to end a five-match winless run and finally secure their Serie A status.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Pisa has lost all four of their last matches.
- Pisa is winless in seventeen consecutive games.
- Cagliari, meanwhile, are also winless in their last five games.
- Four of Cagliari’s last five matches have featured fewer than three goals.
- The last three head-to-head meetings between these teams have all ended in draws.
- Their first-round clash this season finished in a high-scoring 2–2 draw.
Probable lineups
- Pisa: Nicolas – Calabresi, Caracciolo, Coppola – Touré, Marin, Aebischer, Loyola, Angori – Moreo, Durosinmi
- Cagliari: Caprile – Pedro, Rodríguez, Dossena, Obert – Sulemana, Adopo, Liteta – Palestra, Kılıçsoy, Folorunsho
Prediction
Pisa is up against the wall and will defend with everything they have, knowing that conceding could be a death sentence. Cagliari, for their part, will face stubborn resistance from the hosts. Given the poor form of both teams in the final third and the high stakes in this relegation battle, don’t expect a goal fest. Most likely, we’ll see a cautious game decided by the first (and perhaps only) goal. My prediction: Under 2.5 total goals.
