Como continue their return to the topflight with a trip to Cagliari for a Monday night Serie A fixture. Cagliari will be aiming to build on a decent performance against Roma last time out and should have the upper hand at home over the newly promoted side.
Cagliari head into Monday’s clash off the back of a 0-0 home draw with Roma in their opening Serie A fixture. They showed some attacking verve but were particularly solid at the back fending off the Roma attack and keeping the clean sheet.
Manager Davide Nicola will consider it a promising start to the season, holding out against a solid side like Roma. However, Cagliari must now channel that performance against some of the smaller teams, particularly newly promoted clubs like Como.
Como’s first outing on their return to Serie A ended on a disappointing note as they were hammered 3-0 by Juventus. They were no match for the Turin club, struggling to create chances and finishing without a single attempt on target.
Judging by that performance and result, it is shaping up to be a difficult campaign for Como, who are likely to struggle with the rigours of the topflight. However, Cesc Fabregas’ team did claim a 3-1 victory over Cagliari in preseason and will be keen to channel that performance in Monday’s clash.
Players to watch: Cagliari to prevail
Cagliari have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 21/20 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Como is valued at 13/5 while Betfred is also offering odds of 15/2 for a draw.
Head to head: Slight edge for Cagliari
Cagliari have a 4-3 edge with three draws from 10 previous matches against Como. However, Como triumphed 3-1 when both teams met in a preseason fixture back in July.
Players to watch: Piccoli to strike
Despite failing to score, Roberto Piccoli looked lively in the opening fixture and could be worth keeping an eye on. The forward has already scored twice in the Coppa Italia and is priced at 2/1 by Betfred to find the net on Monday.
Although it was only preseason, Como showed that they may have some attacking quality with that win over Cagliari. Patrick Cutrone could be the one to watch on Monday and is priced at 13/5 by Betfred to get on the score sheet.
Probable line-ups
Luciano Pavoletti was a second half substitute for Cagliari in the opening fixture and could be handed a start to partner Piccoli in attack. Matteo Prati should start in midfield while Mateusz Wieteska is set to feature in defence.
Midfielder Daniele Baselli was taken off early in the opening fixture and joins defender Rafael Varane on Como’s injury list. Yannik Engelhardt is likely be handed a start in his place while Andrea Belotti could also feature in attack alongside Cutrone.
Cagliari: Scuffet, Luperto, Wieteska, Zappa, Augello, Deiola, Marin, Prati, Paulo Azzi, Piccolo, Pavoletti
Como: Reina, Moreno, Goldaniga, Barba, Sala, Gabriel Strefezza, Braunoder, Engelhardt, De La Cunha, Belotti, Cutrone
Anything else catch the eye?
Cagliari and Como produced over 3.5 goals in preseason and a repeat is priced at 9/4 by Betfred. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 10/11 by Betfred, who is also offering odds of 8/11 on both teams to score.
A tight opening is expected on Monday, which means the second half is likely to produce more goals at 11/10 with Betfred.
This Serie A match between Cagliari and Como will be played on Aug 26, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Cagliari vs Como prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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