Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Serie A match.
Despite a bright start to the season that saw Udinese briefly perched at the top of Serie A, the team has now settled back into a familiar mid-table position. In contrast, Cagliari have clawed their way out of the relegation zone with a three-match unbeaten run and could close to within a point of their nearest rivals with a win on Friday.
Udinese
In their first 10 games of the current season, Udinese have suffered only three defeats, all against teams contending for a top-four finish. On Saturday, against AC Milan (0:1), the team had two goals disallowed for offside as they failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage, generating just 0.53 xG over 90 minutes. The loss of key playmakers is evident in Udinese's attack, particularly in the absence of Florian Thauvin through injury, leaving them bereft of a leader in creativity.
Cagliari
After a trio of clean-sheet setbacks in Serie A, Cagliari sparked a strong run last month, securing three victories alongside an away draw with Juventus (1:1). However, the Sardinians have struggled with finishing: despite recording 12.62 xG, they have netted just eight goals, with only four teams in the league posting weaker attacking figures.
Udinese vs Cagliari Prediction
It is likely that both Udinese and Cagliari will adopt a cautious approach in this head-to-head clash. As both mid-table sides are expected to find it difficult to create dangerous chances, this should lead to a result falling under the total of 2.5.
