Preview: Cagliari vs Hellas Verona - prediction, team news, lineups

Having given their Serie A survival hopes a huge shot in the arm last week, Cagliari will host rock-bottom Hellas Verona on Saturday evening.

Before they convene in Sardinia, the home side now sit closer to the top half than the drop zone, where Hellas have been stuck for most of the season.

Match preview

Though Cagliari took just one point from their first three games of 2026, including a 3-0 loss to relegation rivals Genoa, successive wins have since brightened the picture.

Soon after pulling off a backs-to-the-wall victory over Juventus, they toppled Fiorentina last weekend, with rising stars Semih Kilicsoy and Marco Palestra both scoring before the Rossoblu hung on stubbornly to all three points.

Fabio Pisacane's struggling side had produced just two wins across their previous 16 league fixtures, summing up the scale of that achievement.

Now sitting 12th in a congested bottom half of the table, Cagliari can take another step towards securing a fourth straight year in Italy's top flight by beating Verona.

After scoring two late goals to draw October's reverse fixture, the Sardinian club are undefeated in four Serie A meetings with their visitors - matching their best such run since 1973.

Verona may have lost just once across their last five trips down to Cagliari - on the most recent visit, at the end of 2024 - but recent results suggest they could struggle on Saturday.

Tamely beaten 3-1 at home by Udinese on Monday evening, the Gialloblu are still fastened to the foot of the standings, lying alongside Pisa with just 14 points on the board.

Another defeat in Sardinia would see them equal their worst tally after 23 Serie A matches: back in 2016, Hellas were eventually relegated and finished last.

Still waiting for their first victory of 2026, Paolo Zanetti's team have posted five defeats and two draws since Christmas, including four failures to score.

Having also won just one of 11 away games this season - drawing their last two, against Napoli and Cremonese - only optimists would predict a Verona victory this weekend.

Cagliari Serie A form:

W L D L W W

Hellas Verona Serie A form:

L D L L D L

Team News

Given last week's result in Florence, Pisacane could name an unchanged Cagliari XI, with no fresh injuries to concern him.

Alessandro Deiola, Michael Folorunsho, Andrea Belotti and Mattia Felici are still sidelined, but Ibrahim Sulemana recently rejoined the club and Agustin Albarracin has just arrived from Uruguay.

Once again, Kilicsoy should resist the challenge of Gennaro Borrelli to start up front; Gianluca Gaetano and Sebastiano Esposito are set to provide support.

While Kilicsoy has burst onto the scene in recent weeks, taking his Serie A tally to three goals, Verona's top scorer Gift Orban has seven after finding the net again on Monday.

The visitors are still burdened by a significant absence list: Tomas Suslov, Nicolas Valentini and Armel Bella-Kotchap are all sidelined.

In some rare good news for Zanetti, wing-backs Martin Frese and Rafik Belghali should return from injury, and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro has also resumed full training.

Amin Sarr is the leading candidate to partner Orban in attack, with Daniel Mosquera short of fitness and Giovane having joined Napoli.

Cagliari possible starting lineup:

Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Luperto; Palestra, Adopo, Mazzitelli, Obert; Esposito, Gaetano; Kilicsoy

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Slotsager, Nelsson, Ebosse; Lirola, Serdar, Gagliardini, Bernede, Bradaric; Sarr, Orban

We say: Cagliari 1-0 Hellas Verona

Sure to be a scrappy contest, neither side can afford to lose against a relegation rival.

As Cagliari should be full of confidence and Verona are short of that vital commodity, the hosts will post their third straight win and bring Serie A safety another step closer.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.