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Cagliari is set to lock horns with Udinese this Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Sardegna Arena, in a match where both teams desperately need a victory to escape the early pressures of the relegation zone in Serie A. Kicking off at 11:30 am UK time, this duel features two teams that have stumbled at the starting blocks of the new season, heightening the stakes and injecting a dose of urgency into the proceedings.

Analysis:

In a fixture where the importance of gaining points cannot be overstressed, Cagliari and Udinese face off in an anticipated clash that mirrors their respective struggles in the early part of the Serie A season.

Cagliari seems to be grappling with adapting to the elite level of Serie A once again. Manager Claudio Ranieri must be feeling the heat, as his squad has only managed to secure a single point from their opening three matches. This comes as a particular disappointment considering their triumphant promotion from Serie B last season. The draw with Torino could be seen as a respectable start, but subsequent defeats to powerhouse Inter Milan and a heart-wrenching last-minute loss to Bologna have sounded alarms. Their first home defeat since last October against Inter signalled a concerning trend, with the team losing six of their last seven top-flight matches at the Unipol Domus. The looming fixture presents a significant challenge, but also an opportunity to avoid their worst start since the 2014-15 campaign, which saw them relegated.

On the other side, Udinese hasn’t fared much better. Having scored only once and conceded four goals in their initial three games, their form appears quite shaky. Despite this, Udinese has a favorable history against Cagliari, notably doing the double over them in the 2021-22 season, aggregating a score of 9-1 across both fixtures. However, their striking force looks considerably weakened following Beto’s move to Everton, leaving a glaring void in the attack. The team’s dependency on untested players like Lorenzo Lucca and the unavailable Brenner due to injury further exacerbate their troubles. Their current form starkly contrasts with their start in the 2022-23 season where they were amongst the top contenders in Serie A, thanks to players like Gerard Deulofeu and Beto. Sadly, with Deulofeu nursing a knee injury, their prospects look quite bleak.

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When looking at the team news, both teams seem hampered with injury woes. Cagliari’s attack suffers due to the absence of playoff hero Leonardo Pavoletti and Gianluca Lapadula, along with other players who have not yet featured this season. New arrival Pantelis Hatzidiakos might be a fresh addition to the lineup. Udinese, too, has its own injury concerns with numerous first-team players sidelined due to various ailments. The new addition Keinan Davis might integrate with the ex-Watford contingent in the squad to bolster the team.

Prediction:

Goal.mu predicts: Cagliari 1-1 Udinese

Given the current form and injury concerns of both teams, a draw seems the most likely outcome. Both teams are desperate to secure points, but their current struggles might restrain them from clinching a victory. A 1-1 draw seems a reasonable prediction, as both teams would tread cautiously to avoid further sinking into the relegation quicksand.

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