Both fan bases hope their team brings a late Christmas present in the shape of three points. Cagliari need them to escape the relegation zone while Inter need them in order to remain as close to the top as possible.
Since the beginning of December, Cagliari's poor run has sent them back into the relegation zone, with no points in the last three rounds. Last week, the painful exit from Coppa Italia to Juventus (4-0) was followed by a defeat to Venezia (2-1). The Islanders scored only two goals in their last five games, although they have definitely improved defensively.
Since their defeat in the derby with AC Milan in September, Inter have crushed almost every team they have faced and are completely errorless in Serie A.
The team is unbeaten in the last 12 games on the domestic stage, including four wins in a row. The encounter with Cagliari should not break that streak, as the underdogs are far from being in top form.
In terms of points, Inter were level with the current leaders from Atalanta, who now have a game in hand.
How the bookies view it: No chances for the Islanders
Bookmakers don't see how Cagliari could win this match, so the odds favour the visitors. The Islanders are available at 49/8, while Inter Milan are sitting at 9/20. If you fancy the draw, it is available at 15/4.
Recent head to head: A one-sided rivalry
Cagliari and Inter have met plenty of times in recent years and the Nerazzurri came out on top almost every time. Cagliari's last win over this opponent dates back to 2019, when they managed a 2-1 at home. Since then, Inter won seven times and there were two draws.
Players to watch: Thuram will punish Cagliari once more
Marcus Thuram is having his best season and needs one more goal to equal his highest-scoring stats before the middle of the campaign. He is Serie A's top scorer this season with 12 goals in 17 appearances. The French striker also netted at least once in his last three Serie A games and he also scored against Cagliari in their previous meeting.
Probable line-ups
Cagliari (3-5-2): Sherri, Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Zortea, Makoumbou, Adopo, Deiola, Augello, Gaetano, Piccoli
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer, Bisseck, Augusto, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Martinez, Thuram
Anything else catch the eye?
With the odds for Inter being too low, we have to find better alternatives with greater value. And there is an interesting statistic that we plan to use for our main tip.
Cagliari have had serious problems in the early minutes of their games. No team has trailed more times at HT than the Islanders this season (9). As the highest-scoring team in the league, we expect Inter Milan to take an early advantage. You can either pick them to win at Half-Time or opt for them to simply score at least once. Additionally, we definitely expect at least two goals from the Nerazzurri, so you can combine them with the away win for better odds.
This Serie A match between Cagliari and Inter Milan will be played on Dec 28, 2024 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Cagliari vs Inter Milan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
