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

Playing each other for the second straight year, Cesena and Pisa will meet again in the Coppa Italia, as they convene for a first-round tie on Sunday.

After the Bianconeri beat their Tuscan opponents in Pisa last season, this time they host the newly-promoted Serie A side.

Match preview

Last September, Cesena travelled to Tuscany for a second-round tie at Arena Garibaldi, where their 1-0 win set up an enticing clash with Atalanta BC in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia.

Though they ultimately exited to La Dea, the Bianconeri's cup run had taken them past Padova, Hellas Verona and then Pisa, and they will hope to make similar progress this season.

Michele Mignani's men finished seventh in Serie B last term, enough to enter the playoff preliminaries, but they went out at the first stage to Catanzaro.

As the Romagna club ended up 23 points adrift of second-placed Pisa after 38 rounds, they are surely underdogs for Sunday's game, despite having home advantage.

Nonetheless, Cesena lost only four times at Stadio Dino Manuzzi during the 2024-25 campaign and have since enjoyed a largely successful pre-season.

So, before kicking off another promotion quest in Pescara next week, they will return to competitive action seeking another upset in the cup.

Though they were dumped out in round two of last season's Coppa Italia, Pisa could then fully focus on returning to Serie A, and they eventually did so by finishing runners-up to second-tier champions Sassuolo, closing play with a 10-point buffer to third-placed Spezia.

Despite ending the club's three-decade wait for promotion back to Italy's top flight, coach Filippo Inzaghi then took the chance to join City Group-owned Palermo, so Alberto Gilardino was appointed as the Nerazzurri's new boss.

Having led Genoa up to Serie A and kept them there, before being sacked last season, Gilardino has proven to be a pragmatic manager, and his sole task will be to ensure Pisa do not go straight back down.

In pre-season, Gilardino's side followed three straight wins with two draws and a defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, finishing off with a 1-1 draw at Pistoiese on Thursday.

Now, before making their top-tier return away to Atalanta next weekend, Pisa's next appointment comes in the cup.

Cesena pre-season form: W D W

Pisa pre-season form: W W W D L D

Team News

Building their squad for a long Serie B season ahead, Cesena have signed experienced full-back Gianluca Frabotta from West Bromwich Albion, among several others.

Young defender Vittorio Magni has arrived on loan from AC Milan, while midfielder Tommaso Arrigoni returns to Stadio Manuzzi after more than a decade away.

After coming through Cesena's primavera, the latter made his debut aged 17 in the 2011-12 Serie A season before racking up more than 100 Serie B appearances for other clubs. However, he has been out since February following ankle surgery and may not be fit enough to feature on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Jonathan Klinsmann's mooted move to Palermo has fallen through, so he is set to start between the posts.

Pisa have also been busy in the transfer market, with their most eye-catching arrivals being Bologna's Michel Aebischer, Fiorentina striker M'Bala Nzola - who spent last season on loan at Lens - and veteran wide man Juan Cuadrado.

Nzola will vie with Alexander Lind and Nicholas Bonfanti to start up front, while Marco Tramoni should play a supporting role.

Only the participation of Brazilian centre-back Mateus Lusuardi is in doubt due to a minor muscular problem.

Cesena possible starting lineup: Klinsmann; Ciofi, Piacentini, Mangraviti; Adamo, Bisoli, Berti, Bastoni, Frabotta; Diao, Shpendi

Pisa possible starting lineup: Nicolas; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Cuadrado, Aebischer, Marin, Akinsanmiro, Angori; Tramoni; Nzola

We say: Cesena 1-2 Pisa

Less than 12 months on from their last cup contest, these sides will be split by one goal again - this time, Pisa can edge out their former Serie B counterparts.

Ahead of their long-awaited top-flight return, the Nerazzurri are set to tee up a second-round clash with either Modena or Torino.

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