Rolando Maran brings his high-flying Cagliari side to the north east on Saturday afternoon as they face struggling Udinese at 15:00.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Udinese (3-5-2): Musso; De Maio, Troost-Ekong, Nuitinck; Ter Avest, Fofana, Mandragora, De Paul, Stryger Larsen; Okaka, Lasagna.
Unavailable: Samir, Sema.
Cagliari (4-3-1-2): Rafael; Cacciatore, Klavan, Pisacane, Pellegrini; Ionita, Cigarini, Rog; Nainggolan, Joao Pedro, Simeone.
Unavailable: Ceppitelli, Pavoletti, Cragno, Birsa, Castro.
Suspended: Olsen, Nandez.
KEY STATISTICS
– There has been just one draw in the last 12 Serie A matches between Cagliari and Udinese in Serie A (2-2 in January 2015) – six wins for the Bianconeri against five wins for the Rossoblu.
– Cagliari have won only two of their 24 away Serie A matches against Udinese (D7 L15), with their most recent such victory coming in 2017/18: 1-0 curtesy of a João Pedro goal.
– The last time Udinese failed to win six consecutive matches in a single Serie A campaign came back in November 2018 – currently on a streak of five (D2 L3).
– Cagliari haven’t lost any of their first seven away matches in a single Serie A campaign for the first time in their history (W3 D4); the Rossoblù have drawn four of their last five games on the road, no other team have drawn more in the competition.
– Udinese have netted 11 goals this season; only in 1993/94 (10) have they scored fewer goals after 16 matchdays in a Serie campaign (they went on to be relegated that season).
– Seven of the last 14 Udinese goals in Serie A against Cagliari have been netted from outside of the box (50%) – each of their previous 20 goals against the Rossoblu came from inside of the box.
– Fifteen of the 21 goals Cagliari have conceded this season have come in the second half of matches (71%): the highest percentage in the division.
– João Pedro has netted in three Serie A matches against Udinese: against no other side has he scored in more games in the competition.
– Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul has been directly involved in only two goals in 13 appearances this season (one assist, one goal); at this stage last campaign he had nine goal involvements in Serie A (six goals, three assists).
– Cagliari’s Lucas Castro scored his first Serie A goal against Udinese in October 2012 with Catania.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com