- 1 Cagliari vs Inter Milan: 28 points out of 30 for the Nerazzurri in this one
- 2 Cagliari: a solid defence, an attack still being rebuilt
- 3 Inter Milan: first away day under the microscope
- 4 Serie A Prediction Cagliari vs Inter Milan
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Cagliari vs Inter Milan: 28 points out of 30 for the Nerazzurri in this one 
Cagliari-Inter Milan: the Nerazzurri on familiar turf
Inter Milan head to Sardinia this Sunday, August 30 (20:45), for Matchday 2 of Serie A with plenty of confidence in the bag. Against Cagliari, the Italians’ recent record is close to spotless: ten games, nine wins, one draw, 28 points from a possible 30.
Inter’s attack on show
Cagliari’s struggles against them are nothing new. Beyond the points dropped, the Sardinians are routinely battered by the Lombardy side, conceding an icy average of 2.6 goals per game against Inter. To break the mental hold at the Sardegna Arena, the island club will need something close to a heroic display against what looks very much like its bogey team.
The two sides arrive level on three points, though. Cagliari won at Parma (1-0), while Inter swept Monza aside at home (4-1).
Cristian Chivu starts his second season in charge of the Nerazzurri after landing a league and cup double, the club’s first since 2010. The Romanian coach knows the bar has been raised again.
At the other end, Fabio Pisacane has signed on until 2028 after a 14th-place finish, Cagliari’s best standing in nine years. His side are on a four-game winning run in all competitions, a streak that began at the back end of last season.
The Sardinian backdrop has not been kind to the Rossoblu in this fixture. They have lost six straight home games against Inter, and in the last three they did not score at all.
Across 44 meetings since 2004, Inter have won 28 to Cagliari’s five, with 11 draws. At the Sardegna Arena, over the last 24 home games in this fixture, Cagliari’s record is three wins, seven draws and 14 defeats.
So the real question on Sunday night is less about who wins and more about how big the gap will be. That’s where the prediction lives.
Both teams have started with a win, but the margins were very different. One won 4-1 at home, the other scraped a 1-0 victory away to a newly promoted side fighting for survival.
Cagliari: a solid defence, an attack still being rebuilt 
Cagliari’s win in Parma was their first opening-day victory since 2013. It was sealed by Alessandro Romano, who scored on his league debut for the club.
Before that goal, the Sardinians had already hit the woodwork three times. This could have been a rout, not just a narrow win.
At the other end, Elia Caprile finished the game with two saves and a clean sheet. Defensive steel remains the backbone of Pisacane’s plan.
Up front, though, they are still figuring things out. Sebastiano Esposito’s expected move to Sassuolo leaves Paul Mendy and Daniel Maldini to lead the line of attack.
In midfield, Romano should keep his place alongside Harry Winks. The former Tottenham man brings the control a deep block needs against a side that hogs possession.
The injury list still includes French forward Yael Trepy, now in recovery after being placed in an induced coma, as well as Riyad Idrissi, a long-term absentee. That trims the attacking options even further.
Romano could become the first Cagliari player since 2016 to score in both of his first two Serie A appearances. That says plenty about how much the club is leaning on fresh faces rather than an established collective.
The schedule at least gives Cagliari some breathing room. They have no European football to juggle, unlike their visitors.
Pisacane builds his side around a compact central shape. Against a team that stretches defences through the wings, that approach will be tested from the first whistle.
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Inter Milan: first away day under the microscope 
Inter opened with four goals against Monza. Hakan Calhanoglu got them going before Yann Bisseck, Piotr Zielinski and Pio Esposito took over after the break.
The only wobble came when they allowed an equaliser in the first half. Chivu fixed it at the interval and his side never really looked back.
The trip to Sardinia is their first away game of the season. Inter won 13 of their 19 away matches last year.
One note of caution tempers the optimism: Inter have failed to win their first away match in each of the last two seasons. The opening stages deserve a close look.
Up front, Lautaro Martinez remains the main man. The top scorer in the league last season with 17 goals, the Argentine has 12 Serie A goals in 12 meetings with Cagliari.
The return from suspension of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, plus full fitness for Marcus Thuram and Curtis Jones, gives Chivu more options. Andy Diouf should slot into the right channel, with Djed Spence still not physically ready.
Pio Esposito, who scored against Monza, is now in direct competition with Thuram. That depth is the clearest difference between the two teams on Sunday.
The back three of Bisseck, Akanji and Bastoni showed a crack when Monza equalised. That is exactly the area Cagliari will try to hit on the counter.
With European football looming, Chivu has to manage legs carefully. Even so, this is the kind of trip where Inter are expected to roll out the best XI.
Expected Cagliari XI: Caprile; Pedro, Mina, Rodriguez, Obert; Adopo, Winks, Romano; Maldini, Fazzini; Mendy
Expected Inter Milan XI: J. Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Esposito, L. Martinez
Serie A Prediction Cagliari vs Inter Milan
Our pick: Inter Milan -1 handicap
The straight Inter win, priced at around 1.41 by the bookmakers, brings little value. The handicap gives the bet a price that better fits the gulf in quality.
In the last ten meetings, Inter have taken 28 points from 30 while averaging 2.6 goals per game. At the Sardegna Arena, Cagliari have lost six in a row to the Nerazzurri, with three of those ending without a goal.
Pisacane’s block and Caprile’s saves could slow the game down. But Inter’s bench, with Thuram, Esposito and Mkhitaryan available, usually finds a way to make the difference over 90 minutes.
We are backing Inter to win by at least two clear goals. That is the clearest reading of this Matchday 2 fixture.
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