Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coppa Italia match.
Juventus's unbeaten run of 11 matches has yielded only three victories for the Turin side. It's clear that in the cup encounter against Cagliari, they won't be at full throttle, especially with squad rotations necessary before key Serie A fixtures—Cagliari can likely be handled with a reserve team.
Juventus
Since the start of November, Juventus have seen the total under 2.5 bet succeed in only two out of nine matches across all competitions. Last week, the team defended solidly against Manchester City (2:0), limiting one of the Champions League favourites to just 1.26 xG with three shots on target. Against Venezia (2:2), Juventus were unfortunate with the high conversion rate of the underdogs (two goals from two shots on target), though they still boast the third-best defence in the league, conceding just 12 goals in 16 games.
Cagliari
Cagliari delivered a commendable performance against Atalanta (0:1), virtually nullifying the attacking threat of the Serie A leaders. On the flip side, the Sardinian club have dropped into the relegation zone with only 15 goals in 16 matches (with only three teams possessing weaker attacks). In the last round of the Coppa Italia, Cagliari narrowly overcame Cremonese (1:0), managing just four shots on target against a lower-division side.
Juventus vs Cagliari Prediction
In October, Juventus were unable to break down Cagliari at home (1:1). We recommend considering the total under, as both teams demonstrate strong defensive capabilities and will play to their strengths.
