Serie A: Napoli to Assert Their Authority Over Cagliari

Napoli vs Cagliari

Napoli’s Serie A title defence is off to a positive start, and they plan to tack on more points when they host Cagliari at the Diego Maradona Stadium this Saturday evening. Many believe this is a winnable match for Antonio Conte’s men.

The Partenopei are coming off a 2-0 win against 10-man Sassuolo last week. Napoli are actually in the lighter part of their schedule, as they won’t face a Scudetto hopeful until the eighth matchday of the 2025-26 campaign, where they’ll host Inter Milan in late October.

Cagliari are coming off a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina to gain their first point of the season. Fabio Pisacane’s men are out to improve their 15th-place finish last season, and upsetting the defending champions is a step in the right direction.

Can they put up enough resistance to defeat Napoli, or is this another routine win for the hosts? Without further ado, check out today’s SBOTOP match preview.

 

Talking Points

Napoli’s midfield is enough to compensate

Napoli will likely stick to their starting lineup against Sassuolo last week, with Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne leading the way. The former Manchester duo found the back of the net in each half to put away Sassuolo with ease, and they also helped the Partenopei control 63 per cent possession.

If there’s an area of concern for the hosts right now, it’s the No. 9 position. Romelu Lukaku is out for at least three months due to a thigh injury he sustained in their 2-1 friendly win against Olympiacos a few weeks ago. Loanee Lorenzo Lucca did a reasonable job of leading the line at Sassuolo, winning three aerial duels and having two shots, but the 24-year-old still needs to prove himself.

This is the reason why Napoli are linked to a potential move with Rasmus Hojlund, whose time at Manchester United is coming to an end. The Danish striker has recorded 26 goals and six assists in 95 competitive matches, but he never lived up to the £72 million transfer fee the Red Devils paid in 2023. Given his prior success in Serie A with Atalanta and familiarity with McTominay, Hojlund could seize the starting job at Napoli, at least until Lukaku returns.

 

Shaky start for Cagliari

After a poor finish last season, Cagliari decided to part ways with Davide Nicola, who now manages Cremonese, and appointed Fabio Pisacane as his replacement. In his first two games in charge, Pisacane eked out a penalty shootout win against Virtus Entella in the first round of the Coppa Italia before salvaging a point against Fiorentina, as Sebastiano Luperto scored the equaliser during stoppage time.

It has been a busy summer for Gli Isolani, as they sold several players and brought in new ones. One of their biggest sales was Roberto Piccoli, one of their best attackers, to Fiorentina for €25 million. On the other hand, they loaned Sebastiano Esposito from Inter Milan and Michael Folorunsho from Napoli.

 

History

Cagliari lost their last two league matches against Napoli without scoring, and they could lose three in a row against them this weekend without finding the back of the net for the third time in Serie A after 1966 and during the 2017-18 season. Gli Isolani have also lost their last three Serie A visits to the Diego Maradona Stadium.

Napoli have only lost one of their last 28 Serie A matches against Cagliari (W19, D8), with their most recent loss coming in a 1-0 result at home in September 2019. The Partenopei are undefeated in their last 13 Serie A matches (W8, D5), with their last loss dating back to February against Como (2-1). Antonio Conte’s side boasts the longest current unbeaten run in Europe’s top five leagues.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, any result other than a win would be surprising for Napoli, and the Serie A 2025 odds back this claim. Napoli are 1.29 favourites to win at home this weekend, whereas Cagliari are huge 8.20 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.85 in the 1X2 market.

Football fans at the Diego Maradona Stadium are in for a treat, as they will likely get their usual dose of Serie A 2025 highlights, courtesy of their home team. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also add Over 2.50 at 1.85, Over 2.75 at 2.02, and Total Goal 2-3 at 2.01 to their parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-0 in favour of Napoli – the result of this exact fixture last term – is on offer at 5.50.

   

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