Match preview

With just one win in 12 games, Torino's continued slump down the table now finds them in the bottom half, even though they are unbeaten in four games.

The downside to that recent run is that all four have ended in draws, and with so many sides below them playing each other, teams are picking up points each week and making ground on them.

After taking 11 points from the first five games of the season, Torino were right up near the top of the standings, but their fall off since has been massively disappointing, taking 12 points from the following 16.

Paolo Vanoli will certainly have been happy with his side taking a point from their last two matches though, in the derby with Juventus, and at the Artemio Franchi with Fiorentina on Sunday.

1-0 down and reduced to 10 men, Torino found an extra gear, and snatched a shock equaliser thanks to young Lithuanian Gvidas Gineitis, ensuring the gap between themselves and the bottom three remained at four points.

However, they will hope that this is the game to break that run, because making it five straight Serie A draws for the first time in four years would be rather underwhelming in a very winnable fixture.

The Granata have only managed two wins in their last 11 meetings with Cagliari though, and lost 3-2 in Sardinia earlier this season.

That presents Cagliari with the chance to complete a league double over Torino for the first time since 2012-13, and after a huge win last weekend, Davide Nicola will return to his old club with a team brimming with confidence.

After just one win in six games, the clash with Lecce on Sunday took on huge importance, and Cagliari passed that test, despite an unconvincing opening hour.

Cagliari trailed until the 60th minute, but aided by a red card to Ante Rebic, Nicola's men ran riot in the final half-hour, scoring four goals without reply to seal an important three points that moved them out of the relegation zone.

That leaves the visitors in 14th ahead of the weekend, but that is all set to change again on gameweek 22, because they could go above Torino into 11th with a win, but a defeat leaves them in danger of slipping down the standings, as the three teams behind them are all within a point.

Backing up that victory will be the next challenge now, because the Sardinians have not won back-to-back games in Serie A in almost a year, but manager Nicola has beaten his former employers in his last two meetings.

Torino possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Lazaro, Walukiewicz, Maripan, Coco, Sosa; Ricci, Linetty, Vlasic; Adams, Karamoh

Cagliari possible starting lineup:

Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Obert; Zortea, Deiola, Marin, Gaetano, Felici; Piccoli