Cagliari vs. Parma
Cagliari welcomes Parma, who are also struggling for form, to the Unipol Domus tomorrow, with recent history clearly favoring the hosts: two wins in the last two head-to-head matches, both with high-scoring second halves after cautious first halves. Both teams are languishing in the lower reaches of the table after two matchdays, Cagliari in 14th and Parma in 16th, and are struggling with significant personnel problems. Fabio Pisacane will have to do without the speedy Luvumbo, who was injured while on international duty, but could provide fresh impetus with new signing Belotti. The experienced striker has already shown his scoring prowess in preseason and is waiting for his starting debut. Yerry Mina returns in time after scoring for Colombia, while Zappa is still a question mark after suffering a thigh bruise. Despite the balanced table situation, bookmakers see Cagliari as the clear favorites, which seems understandable given their home advantage and recent successes against Parma.
- Venue: Unipol Domus, Cagliari
- Date and time: 09/13/2025, 3:00 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 3)
Cagliari Form & Record Check
Cagliari’s start to the season has been mixed. After a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina in their opening game, the Sardinians suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat at Napoli, with the decisive goal coming in stoppage time. With only one point from two league games, they are in 14th place in the table, although the gap to the higher places is minimal. Interestingly, Cagliari are proving to be more compact defensively than expected. In their first two league games, they conceded only two goals, both of which came late in the game. This could indicate that coach Fabio Pisacane has organized his team well, but that their fitness still needs improvement. In addition to Luvumbo, Radunović and Pavoletti are also missing, which puts additional strain on the already limited squad depth. The recent friendly against Buddusò brought positive signs: Belotti scored on his first appearance and showed good coordination with his teammates. His possible debut in the starting lineup could give the attack new impetus after scoring only two goals in the league games so far. Felici also recommended himself as an alternative for the offense.
Cagliari are likely to line up in the tried-and-tested 3-5-1-1 formation that Pisacane has favored in recent weeks. Interestingly, Andrea Belotti could make his first start after scoring in the friendly against Buddusò. The experienced striker has been specifically integrated into the team’s play during preseason and seems ready to make the leap into the starting eleven. The absence of Luvumbo, who suffered an adductor injury while on international duty, will be a problem. There is still uncertainty surrounding Zappa after his thigh bruise, although the initial signs are encouraging. Yerry Mina is returning from international duty just in time and should stabilize the defense.
Parma Form & Record Check
Parma has shown mixed form at the start of the season, characterized by interesting tactical patterns. Their 16th place in the table with one point reflects the difficult first few weeks, although the results are quite respectable. The 1-1 draw against Atalanta just under two weeks ago was a respectable result, with Cutrone scoring the important equalizer in the 85th minute after Pašalić had given the visitors the lead. The tactical approach in the first halves is noteworthy: Parma failed to score in four of their last five games at half-time and mostly went into the break with a draw. However, this passive start changes significantly after the break, when the team develops more attacking power. The absences weigh heavily on coach Carlos Cuesta. Ondrejka is out until December with a broken fibula, while Frigan is out indefinitely with a cruciate ligament rupture. Together, the two players represent a market value of over €15 million. Hernani also remains doubtful with ankle problems. The defensive stability is a positive factor: with usually only one goal conceded per game, Parma remains competitive, which could be decisive against Cagliari today.
Coach Cuesta is likely to rely on his tried-and-tested 3-4-2-1 system. Suzuki will be between the posts, while the back three could consist of Delprato, Circati, and Valenti. Løvik and Valeri are planned for the wings, with Bernabé and Keita pulling the strings in the center. The absences weigh heavily: Ondrejka is out until December with a broken fibula, while Frigan continues to struggle with a cruciate ligament injury. Hernani is also unavailable with ankle problems. In attack, Almqvist and Sørensen could play behind Pellegrino, with Cutrone and Djuric available as alternatives.
H2H Cagliari – Parma Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The recent history between Cagliari and Parma looks quite positive from the Sardinian perspective. In the last five encounters, the home side has won three times, while Parma has only emerged victorious once. The most goal-rich encounter was Cagliari’s spectacular 3-2 win in Parma in September 2024. Interestingly, these games regularly turn into high-scoring affairs. In four of the last five encounters, at least three goals were scored, with both teams usually finding the net. The second halves are particularly exciting, with more than 1.5 goals consistently being scored. Cagliari won the most recent encounter in February this year 2-1 at their own stadium. Before that, the Sardinians also prevailed away in Parma, underlining their current positive record against the visitors.
The tip for under 2.5 goals seems particularly solid, as both attacks are significantly weakened: Parma are traveling without Frigan and Ondrejka, while Cagliari will miss Luvumbo’s pace. The statistics clearly support this assessment: four of Cagliari’s last five games ended with under 2.5 goals, while Parma’s first two games of the season produced only three goals between them. At odds of 1.61, this tip appears to be a safe bet in a difficult-to-predict encounter. The home win at 2.2 could well offer value, especially with Belotti’s expected debut in the starting lineup promising new impetus. The experienced striker already scored in the friendly against Buddusò and spent an hour successfully linking up with his new teammates. Mina’s return also stabilizes the defense. Interestingly, a draw at 3.25 is also appealing: both teams tend to play tough games, Parma drew 80 percent of their first halves, and without Luvumbo’s pace, Cagliari could struggle to break down the compact visitors’ defense.
