Juventus vs Cagliari
6th January 1400hrs
Football – Italy – Serie A
Pick Both teams to score
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 10/11 odds taken 1800 GMT, Sunday 5 January
Juventus can put the pressure on Inter by getting all three points to go clear at the top before their rivals play later. It won’t be easy against a Cagliari team who have been very impressive this season.
Juventus vs Cagliari Live Stats & Betting Odds
Juventus Preview – Will Juve take advantage of playing in the earlier game and put pressure in title rivals Inter?
Juve have dominated Italian football for the past eight seasons but as we approach the halfway stage of the 2019/20 campaign, there’s little doubt that the champions have a massive challenge on their hands. Juve are level on points with Inter at the top of Serie A after 17 matches and in second spot courtesy of an inferior goal difference. Maurizio Sarri, who took over in the summer, will be feeling the pressure to avoid being the first manager since 2011 not to win the league title. Especially if it was at the hands of Antonio Conte who started Juve’s domination.
Their form at home has been very good with seven wins from eight games and only dropping points in a draw with Sassuolo at the beginning of last month. What will be concerning for Sarri in relation to their home form is the number of goals they are conceding. It’s just two clean sheets in the league which is putting increasing pressure on their attack. Considering their defence has been the basis of virtually all of their title wins it’s a massive shift in mentality as the team not only transitions under a new manager but also introducing new personnel with players getting older.
Cagliari Preview – Can Cagliari start 2020 better than they finished 2019 and return to their earlier season form?
Cagliari may have lost lost their last two games of 2019 and are now without a win in three, but their first half of the season has been very positive in the main. Rolando Maran’s men sit in sixth spot and have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe. Now six points behind Roma in fourth that disappointing end to the last calendar year means a challenge for a Champions League finish is probably beyond them but the Europa League is very realistic.
Their average goals rate for games involving them this season so far is 3.29 which is the fifth highest in the league. It is an indication of how attacking this team are but also that they are vulnerable at the back. That’s been evident in their last three games where they have scored in each of them but taking just one point from a possible nine. If Cagliari are to qualify for Europe then you feel they have to shore things up defensively. A trip to Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia later this months means that European qualification is most likely going to come via their league position.
Key-Facts – Juventus vs Cagliari
- Juventus have their biggest challenge to their domination of Italian football in the shape of Inter who they are level on points with approaching the halfway stage
- Cagliari have been one of the biggest surprise packages of this Serie A season and will be hopeful of qualifying for Europe
- Juve have only kept two clean sheets at home this season whilst the visitors have scored in all eight of their away matches
Juventus vs Cagliari Betting Advice
These sides will meet each other again in the penultimate game of the season as it stands. It will be interesting to see how both are faring at the stage. Juventus will be hoping to have clinched or close to clinching their ninth straight title. For the visitors they will be keen to sustain their performances from the first part of the season and hopefully finish in the top six.
I alluded to how much of a struggle it’s been defensively for Juventus, relative at least to previous seasons. Cagliari will feel they can trouble their hosts, particularly as they have scored in all eight of their away games thus far. That includes games against Roma, Napoli and Atalanta. They are more than good enough enough to find the net here and just as has happened in six of Juve’s eight home matches, both teams to score in this match looks to be the way to go
