Torino vs Cagliari: Preview and Prediction

Torino vs Cagliari
2016/17 Italian Serie A.
Date: Saturday, 05 November 2016
Kick-Off: 17:00 UK,
Venue: Stadio Olimpico (Turin).

Currently tied on points, Torino and Cagliari will be hoping to head into the upcoming international hiatus with a win as they clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

The Granata come into this game having drawn 2-2 with Udinese earlier this week. That has dealt yet another major blow to their quest to close the gap on the European spots. Currently, Torino find themselves four points behind fifth-placed Napoli, and will be keen on closing that gap temporarily to one by beating Cagliari. The Granata, however, are winless in their past three games. Whilst there have been signs of improvement – namely Adem Ljajic’s solid form – there is still a lot of work to do for Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side.

Joe Hart has started to settle in, but still lacks the consistency needed in order to help the team start recording shut-outs and stringing together wins. Torino have conceded at least once in their past six games, and the fact that Cagliari are among the higher-scoring sides in the league will be a major source of concern. The Rossoblu arrive in Turin having ended their two-match losing streak by beating Palermo 2-1, and as they are tied on points, will surely be relishing their chances at picking up what would be their first win against Torino since 2013.

However, if Torino have a suspect defense, Cagliari’s is certainly no better. They’ve conceded 24 so far, including in every single one of their past seven meetings. In addition, in three of those, they have conceded four or more, during losses to Lazio, Juventus, and Fiorentina.

Torino vs Cagliari: Head-to-head statistics

• Torino have won 11, drawn seven, and lost two out of their past 20 home games against teams ranked below them in the table.
• Cagliari have won three, drawn four, and lost 13 out of their past 20 away games against teams ranked above them in the table.
• At home, Torino have only managed to keep a clean sheet once – in a 0-0 draw with Empoli, who have the worst attack in the division.
• The Rossoblu have yet to keep a clean sheet away from home.
• Four out of the past six meetings between the two sides have seen over 2.5 goals.

Torino vs Cagliari: Prediction

Both teams have no problems scoring, but certainly have problems with keeping things tight at the back. As such, expect goals at either end in this fixture. Torino have scored at least two goals in five out of their last six meetings, whilst Cagliari have seen over 2.5 goals in their past 12 Serie A matches. Given that both can’t keep a clean sheet this could be a high-scoring encounter that could see both sides cancel each other out. A draw certainly is not outside the realm of possibility.