Still with just one win all season, Cagliari welcome Udinese to Sardinia on Saturday as their need for three points grows ever greater.
After they were thumped by Inter last week - ending a run of four straight draws - the Isolani welcome a visiting side who are winless in their last five Serie A matches and have invested their hopes in a new man at the top.
Match preview
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Since suffering a fourth successive loss in early November, struggling Cagliari have picked up just four points from their next five league outings to slip further into danger at the foot of the table.
While Walter Mazzarri's men remain only two points adrift of safety before the penultimate round of 2021, the gap to 16th place already stands at six points, and they could well be set for a four-way battle to avoid the drop.
At San Siro last Sunday, they were summarily dispatched by Inter for the eighth time in the clubs' last 10 Serie A meetings, with a 4-0 scoreline barely reflecting the champions' supremacy on the night.
The Rossoblu's midweek Coppa Italia tie with Serie B side Cittadella at least brought some brief respite from their Serie A woes, though, as they advanced to the last 16 with a 3-1 win - though it was a much-changed XI that started the game.
Vastly experienced, having served time at a variety of clubs, Mazzarri knows he has a tough task on his hands to keep Cagliari afloat this term, as only two teams have scored fewer goals in the Italian top flight - a fact made all the more painful each time Giovanni Simeone - whom the Isolani loaned to Verona - nets another goal to storm up the Capocannoniere rankings.
Before ending a challenging 2021 with a trip to Turin - where they meet Juventus in midweek - if they are to end a nine-game winless streak in Serie A, their best chance comes on Saturday against another side struggling for points.
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Having taken the tough decision to make a change in the dugout after being beaten by Empoli a fortnight ago, the Udinese hierarchy have been rewarded with improved showings since.
Interim coach Gabrielle Cioffi saw his side almost hang on to beat Scudetto contenders Milan last Saturday evening, when only a typically spectacular late Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike prevented the Zebrette from taking all three points.
They had previously earned the lead through Portuguese striker Beto - his seventh Serie A goal since signing on loan from Portimonense in the summer - but their day was further spoiled by the impetuous stoppage-time dismissal of Isaac Success.
Nonetheless, that draw - plus a 4-0 midweek Coppa Italia victory over Serie B side Crotone - was enough to persuade the board that former coach Luca Gotti's right-hand man should take charge of the club until the end of the season.
For the second time in succession, Udinese have appointed their assistant head coach as their next leader, after Gotti was first brought in as Igor Tudor's deputy. Following in his predecessor's footsteps, Cioffi returned to Italy last year after a wandering spell with clubs diverse as Al Jazira, Birmingham City - where he was Gianfranco Zola's assistant - and Crawley Town.
The continuity candidate, then, has an excellent opportunity to prove his credentials before the upcoming winter break, as before hosting rock-bottom Salernitana next week, he takes his team to Sardinia, where they also start as favourites.
With only 17 points to show from as many games, though - and just six on the road - Udinese will be under some pressure to capitalise on their opponents' ongoing woes.
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Team News
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Set to make several changes from the midweek Coppa Italia victory over Cittadella, Walter Mazzarri hopes to have Nahitan Nandez - who has been struggling with a thigh problem - back in action on Saturday. Luca Ceppitelli also featured in full training during the week and could feature on the bench.
However, Kevin Strootman (knee), Sebastian Walukiewicz (hip) and Marko Rog (knee) stay sidelined for Cagliari, who are expected to team Leonardo Pavoletti with captain Joao Pedro as the front pair in Mazzarri's 3-5-2 formation.
Having also made wholesale changes for the cup win over Crotone, visiting manager Gabriele Cioffi will revert to a more familiar XI on Saturday, with Beto leading the line for the away side.
However, Isaac Success will be unable to join Udinese's top scorer in attack, as he serves a suspension for his needless sending off against Milan. Therefore, either Gerard Deulofeu or Ignacio Pussetto should play in support of the Portuguese striker.
Roberto Pereyra (shoulder) is set to remain sidelined for the Bianconeri, but teenage wing-back Destiny Udogie is expected to overcome a groin problem to be involved.
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Cragno; Caceres, Godin, Carboni; Zappa, Marin, Grassi, Nandez, Dalbert; Pedro, Pavoletti
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Becao, Samir, Nuytinck; Molina, Arslan, Walace, Makengo, Udogie; Deulofeu; Beto
We say: Cagliari 1-1 Udinese
While neither side are frequent scorers, the visitors should have more confidence in the final third given their recent results - netting 10 times in their last four league and cup outings.
Nonetheless, Cagliari are tougher to beat on Sardinian soil, so can hold out for a hard-earned point if they find the net at some stage.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Cagliari win with a probability of 47.57%. A win for Udinese had a probability of 28.09% and a draw had a probability of 24.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Cagliari win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.46%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.43%) and 2-0 (7.79%). The likeliest Udinese win was 0-1 (6.95%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.44%). The actual scoreline of 0-4 was predicted with a 0.5% likelihood.
