Cagliari welcome Juventus to the Unipol Domus at 20:45 with the unusual comfort of a two-point advantage over the Turin side, turning the sixth round into an early test of the Serie A order. Antonio Pisacane’s side have made themselves one of the season’s unexpected forces, while Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus arrive aware that a victory would restore familiar hierarchy.
Key takeaways
- Cagliari sit two points above Juventus before their sixth Serie A match.
- The Sardinians have won four of five league fixtures, with their only defeat coming at home to Inter.
- Daniel Maldini goes into the game after scoring in three successive matches.
- Juventus have taken 10 points from their opening five games: three wins, one draw and one loss.
- Andrea Cambiaso is available again for Juventus, while Juan Cabal can return among the substitutes.
- Matteo Marcenaro of the Genoa section will referee the match.
Cagliari’s early-season case faces its sternest examination
In the three-points-for-a-win era, Cagliari have previously gone into a meeting with Juventus ahead of them only twice: in 1996-97 and again in 2010-11. On both occasions, Juventus won the direct encounter and moved above the Sardinians. Pisacane’s group now have the chance to prevent that pattern from repeating itself.
Their position has been built on narrow but meaningful victories. Cagliari defeated Lecce 1-0 at home, won 1-0 in Udine, took a 2-1 success away to Atalanta in Bergamo and left Parma with another 1-0 victory. The sole setback was the home loss to Inter. Alongside Frosinone, they have emerged as one of the championship’s surprises.
Before the international break, Cagliari beat Udinese 1-0, with Maldini supplying the decisive goal for the third game running. His arrival, together with Alessandro Romano’s impact, has strengthened a recruitment campaign that is already being viewed positively. Romano has received a call-up from Roberto Mancini for the national team and has attracted interest from several major clubs ahead of the January window.
Deiola could be restored to the squad from the bench against Juventus. Felici, Idrissi, Trepy, Kevin Carlos and Sherri remain unavailable.
Juventus seek a result that matches their recent standards
Juventus closed the period before the international fixtures with a 2-0 win over Atalanta, sealed by goals from Conceiçao and Bremer. Their opening return of three victories, one draw and one defeat has prompted scrutiny, but it stands among the club’s stronger starts across the past seven Serie A seasons.
Should Spalletti’s team win in Cagliari, they would equal the opening six-game record achieved by Juventus in Massimiliano Allegri’s final season, 2023-24. The task comes amid a continuing injury problem, although the international matches did not add a serious fresh concern; Alajbegovic suffered only cramp.
Cambiaso has recovered, while Cabal is expected to be fit enough for a place on the bench. Juventus will still be without Yildiz, Thuram, Ekhator, Locatelli, Boga, Grabara and Owusu. New deputy goalkeeper Neto is also absent as he serves a suspension received in his final match for Botafogo in Brazil.
The match will be shown exclusively by DAZN, through its streaming platforms and on Sky channel 214 for subscribers with the relevant package.
