Cagliari vs Lazio Prediction & Tips
Cagliari did not start their back-to-back meetings with teams from Rome well by conceding the fastest goal in Serie A this season (61 seconds) en route to a 4-0 loss to Roma on Monday, their third league defeat in a row. Now it’s Lazio who come to town, and with Cagliari winless in head-to-head meetings since 2013 (E3, P14) and finishing the previous matchday in the relegation zone, the immediate future of Claudio Ranieri’s side looks uncertain.
Considering that Cagliari have opened the scoring in just one of their last ten Serie A matches (G2, E2, P6), their dismal start against Roma probably comes as no surprise. While it is true that Cagliari has earned the vast majority of its 18 points at home (15), only three came against teams currently ranked in the top ten in the table (G1, P4), illustrating the difficulties it has had against the league’s top clubs.
As Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri feared, their trip to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa semifinals ruined their winning streak. In fact, the “Biancocelesti” are now winless in three official matches after a 3-1 defeat against Atalanta last time out, which sees them start this matchday in ninth place with a five-point gap to the top four.
However, the visitors avoided defeat in each of their three away league games prior to that earlier trip to Bergamo, scoring inside the first 25 minutes in each, which could be the key to success here given Cagliari’s struggles during the early stages of the match. In addition to their strong head-to-head record, Lazio also boast an average of two points per game in Serie A (G3, E1, P1) against teams that started this matchday ranked 15th or lower.
Players to watch: Nicolas Viola scored the last goal at home to Cagliari, with all four of his goals this season coming after the break. Lazio captain Ciro Immobile converted a penalty in the previous game at Atalanta, that being his first goal since late November, while he scored three first-half goals in the last four meetings between these teams.
Weekend stat: Lazio scored first in each of its seven away league games against teams that started this matchday outside the top six in the table (G4, E1, P2).
Cagliari – Lazio FREE TIPS
UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 2.00
