Preview: Cagliari vs Pisa - prediction, team news, lineups

Both battling for Serie A survival, relegation candidates Cagliari and Pisa will meet in Sardinia for this week's Sunday lunchtime kickoff.

With just one win between them over the past four matchdays, both clubs are deep in danger, though the Isolani lead their Tuscan counterparts by four points.

Match preview

Cagliari have won just one of their last 11 Serie A matches - a shock 1-0 victory over Roma in their most recent home game - leaving them precariously placed, just above the bottom three.

Despite substitute Gianluca Gaetano scoring his second goal in as many weeks, having netted the winner against Roma, the Isolani still succumbed to defeat.

After losing 2-1 to Atalanta BC in Bergamo, where Gianluca Scamacca was the hosts' late match-winner, Cagliari fell to 15th, only two points above the relegation places.

Furthermore, Fabio Pisacane's side were recently knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Napoli after an epic penalty shootout, amid a particularly tough run of fixtures.

Now, in their final home match of 2025, the Rossoblu will seek a seventh Serie A win at Unipol Domus this calendar year: that would be their best tally since 2017.

Unbeaten across eight home games against Pisa in either of Italy's top two tiers, history suggests they can celebrate a rare success on Sunday.

© Imago

While the sides played out a 0-0 Serie B draw when they last met two years ago, Pisa have won just one of six top-flight meetings with Cagliari, way back in October 1990.

Since then, the Nerazzurri have mostly been struggling to get back into Serie A, before finally achieving that feat last term.

After a fairly promising start, Pisa have recently lost their last three matches without scoring, including successive 1-0 defeats to direct rivals Parma and Lecce.

So, following a six-game unbeaten streak that featured five draws, Alberto Gilardino's team have sunk further into danger - only crisis club Fiorentina lie below them.

Yet to win on the road, Pisa have picked up just four points away from their Tuscan headquarters, so they will be desperate to get off the mark down in Sardinia.

Cagliari Serie A form:

L D D L W L

Cagliari form (all competitions):

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Pisa Serie A form:

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Team News

© Imago

Once again, Cagliari must do without long-term absentees Mattia Felici and Andrea Belotti, plus Portuguese defender Ze Pedro, but Pisacane still hopes to call upon two key players. 

Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina has just returned to full training, while Gennaro Borrelli could recover from an ankle sprain.

Alongside Sebastiano Esposito, Borrelli is the Rossoblu's joint-top scorer with three goals, followed by Gaetano on two. Notably, all of the latter's four Serie A strikes in 2025 have come as a substitute.

Both Cagliari forward Zito Luvumbo and Pisa's leading scorer M'Bala Nzola have just headed off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Angola.

The visitors will also be missing Nigeria midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, so Marius Marin may be promoted to their starting XI.

Injury-plagued pair Juan Cuadrado (hamstring) and Calvin Stengs (adductor) are still unavailable.

Cagliari possible starting lineup:

Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Palestra, Adopo, Deiola, Folorunsho, Obert; Esposito, Borrelli

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Semper; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Toure, Vural, Aebischer, Marin, Angori; Moreo, Meister

We say: Cagliari 2-0 Pisa

Not only will Cagliari have home advantage on their side, but they also pose a greater threat in the final third.

Pisa have proved toothless since returning to the top flight, and a fourth straight defeat could be on the cards. 

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