Cagliari – Fiorentina
Fiorentina travels to Sardinia with the confidence of a commanding 3-0 victory over Polissya Zhytomyr in the Conference League playoffs, where an interesting Serie A duel awaits at the Unipol Domus on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Stefano Pioli’s Viola will face a Cagliari side missing two key players: Roberto Piccoli has moved to their rivals in Florence, while Nadir Zortea has joined Bologna. New coach Fabio Pisacane is set to make tactical adjustments, with the Esposito-Luvumbo pairing an option in attack. The recent record between the two teams speaks for itself, with Cagliari failing to win any of their last five encounters, recording four defeats and one draw. Fiorentina won 2-1 at this venue in April, and although the bookmakers see the visitors as slight favorites, home games at the start of the season often have a mind of their own.
- Venue: Unipol Domus, Cagliari
- Date and time: 24.08.2025, 18:30
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 1)
Cagliari form & record check
Cagliari is facing a difficult start to the season under new coach Fabio Pisacane. The Sardinians recently struggled to get past second-division side Virtus Entella in the Coppa Italia, winning 1-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Piccoli gave the home side the lead, but an unfortunate own goal by Deiola shortly before the end forced the team into extra time. A look at the league record over the past few months reveals a worrying trend: in the last five games, there has been only one win against Venezia, with three defeats. Particularly striking is the weakness in the second half, where the team hardly scores and regularly concedes goals. Pisacane has to completely rethink his plans after the recent departures. With Zortea and Piccoli, Cagliari has lost two key players to Bologna and Fiorentina respectively. The coach is now experimenting with new formations, with Zappa potentially replacing Zortea on the right. In attack, he is relying on the untested combination of Esposito and Luvumbo. Statistics show that Cagliari has scored in the first half in 80% of its recent games, but then usually loses its way. The defense looks vulnerable, and Pavoletti, an important striker, is still missing. Folorunsho and Idrissi are expected to bring a breath of fresh air, but they have little time to settle in.
Cagliari are likely to line up in their usual 3-5-2 formation against Fiorentina, even though coach Pisacane has had to significantly reshuffle his line-up following the departures of Piccoli and Zortea. Luperto should return to the defense alongside Mina and Obert, having recovered from injury in time for the game. Zappa could replace Zortea, who has moved to Bologna, on the right wing, while Idrissi is expected to start on the left. In midfield, new signings Folorunsho and Adopo are likely to feature alongside Prati. Following Piccoli’s move to Fiorentina, a completely new strike partnership is emerging: Luvumbo and Esposito, on loan from Inter, could start together for the first time. Pavoletti remains sidelined with a knee injury and is training individually. New signings Mazzitelli, Kilicsoy, and Borrelli are only available as alternatives for the time being.
Florence Form & Record Check
Fiorentina travels to Sardinia with confidence. The clear 3-0 victory against Polissya Zhytomyr in the Conference League playoff two days ago underlines the good form of Stefano Pioli’s team, with this victory even coming despite being a man down after Moise Kean was sent off shortly before half-time for violent conduct. The Viola’s recent run is certainly promising: in their last five games, the team has recorded three wins, one draw and just one defeat. Their attacking prowess is particularly striking, as they have scored in all five games, regularly netting more than 2.5 goals per game. The 3-2 win at Udinese and the 3-2 victory against Bologna in the spring showed that Pioli’s side can also win tight games. Only the 2-1 defeat in Venice marred an otherwise positive impression. The team seems to be well set up offensively, but they have conceded at least one goal in four of their last five games. The imminent transfer of Roberto Piccoli for €25 million plus bonuses will add extra quality to the offense. However, the 24-year-old striker will not be available for the second leg of the Conference League as he could not be included in the UEFA list in time. Kean’s suspension following his red card will only affect the European Cup game, but not the league opener in Cagliari.
The Viola are expected to line up in their usual 3-5-2 formation against Cagliari. Coach Pioli has almost the entire squad at his disposal, with only Mandragora and Kouamé missing due to injury. The choice of striker is exciting: Kean is suspended for the second leg after his red card in the Conference League, but is available for league duty. The Englishman could start alongside Gudmundsson, while new signing Piccoli is not yet eligible to play. In midfield, Pioli is likely to stick with the tried-and-tested trio of Fagioli and Sohm, supported by wingers Dodô and Gosens. The back three of Comuzzo, Pongracic and Ranieri in front of de Gea seems set. The coach could opt for this stable option to get the season off to a successful start.
H2H Cagliari – Florence Head-to-head & Statistics
The head-to-head record in recent years paints a clear picture: AC Florence has dominated this fixture. The Tuscan side has won four of the last five encounters, with the two teams drawing 1-1 in January 2022. Particularly noteworthy is Fiorentina’s run of five consecutive games in which they have scored against Cagliari. The Viola have always found the back of the Sardinian net in their last five games, while Cagliari have conceded in all five encounters. The most recent meetings in April 2025 (1-2) and December 2024 (1-0 for Florence) confirm this trend. Fiorentina seem to have found the right answer to Cagliari’s style of play. The games often only really get going in the second half, with both teams scoring after the break in the last three encounters. The clearest result was Fiorentina’s 3-0 home win in October 2023, which underlined the Tuscan side’s superiority in this fixture. Cagliari have been waiting for a win against AC Florence for over three years.
**Both teams to score** seems like a solid bet, as Fiorentina have scored in all of their last five competitive games and Cagliari have been on target in 80% of their last 10. Both teams have conceded in 80% of their last 10 meetings, which suggests a high-scoring encounter. Fiorentina come to Sardinia with the confidence of a 3-0 win over Polissya in the Conference League, while Cagliari have to reshuffle their line-up following the departures of Piccoli to Fiorentina and Zortea to Bologna. **Under 1.5 goals – 2nd half** is based on Cagliari’s remarkable second-half statistics, with fewer than 1.5 goals scored after the break in all of their last five games. Pisacane will have to play more defensively without his regulars, which supports this bet. The **Florence win** is justified by Cagliari’s weakened offense and Pioli’s stable team, which has won three of its last five games. The betting market sees the Viola as moderate favorites at 2.3, although Cagliari’s home advantage and the unpredictability of season openers could justify this odds. The absence of Pavoletti and the loss of Piccoli to the visitors significantly weakens Cagliari’s attack, while Fiorentina boasts Gudmundsson, Kean, and a balanced offense.
