Serie A | Gameweek 37

May 18, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Sardegna Arena

Cagliari vs Venezia

Match preview

Cagliari go into the 37th round of Serie A knowing that they could still be relegated this season, although there is a sense that Davide Nicola's team have done enough this season to avoid relegation.

The Sardinians go into this weekend's fixture five points ahead of 18th-placed Lecce and 19th-placed Empoli, who both have 28 points and six games left to play.

While Rossoblu fans should expect their two-year stay in the top flight to continue, they yearn for an improvement in results as the season comes to a close.

Davide Nicola's team have lost four of their last five league matches, with their only victory coming against 15th-placed Hellas Verona during that period. However, they have been undermined by conceding two or more goals in defeats to Inter Milan (3–1), Fiorentina (2–1), Udinese (2–1) and Como (3–1).

Two of those setbacks occurred on home soil, and the club's fans will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat in Sardinia. The last time the club lost three games in a row in the same season was from March to April 2022, when they lost to Lazio (3-0), AC Milan (1-0) and Juventus (2-1).

Venezia are aiming to inflict another defeat on Cagliari. Their surprising 2-1 victory over Conference League semi-finalists Fiorentina in the previous round, combined with Lecce's draw against Verona, took them outside the bottom three.

With two games remaining, Eusebio Di Francesco's team secured a timely second victory of 2025 on 12 April, when they beat Monza 1-0. However, the 17th-placed team could return to the relegation zone if they continue to struggle to win away from home.

The Winged Lions have not won an away game all season since returning to the top flight and have not secured maximum points on the road since beating Torino 2-1 in February 2022, extending their 25-match winless streak away from home.

Nevertheless, they enter Sunday's match on a run of five consecutive away draws, having recorded draws against Como, Lecce, Empoli and Torino after their goalless encounter with Atalanta, which initiated the run.

Having remained unbeaten in eight Serie A matches against Cagliari since November 1966, Venezia, who are currently one point above Lecce and Empoli, will be looking to extend that record and improve their survival prospects.

Recent Performance

Cagliari Serie A form:DLLWLL

Venezia Serie A form:DWDLDW

Team News

Leonardo Pavoletti is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards and Florinel Coman and Yerry Mina are expected to miss Sunday's game for Cagliari due to injury. Meanwhile, Jakub Jankto and Sebastiano Luperto are touch-and-go for the penultimate fixture.

Although Roberto Piccoli and Nadir Zortea have scored nine and six goals respectively, the onus remains on Piccoli to be decisive; he has scored four opening goals and three winning strikes this season.

Venezia have no suspensions for Sunday's game, but the Lagunari will be without Alfred Duncan (muscle injury), Cheick Conde (ankle injury) and Michael Svoboda (knee injury).

Although Hans Nicolussi Caviglia tops the away side's scoring charts with four Serie A goals, this highlights the Venice-based club's broader attacking efficiency issues — only the league's bottom three have scored fewer than the Winged Lions' 30 goals.

Possible starting lineup

Cagliari possible starting lineup:

Caprile; Zappa, Palomino, Obert; Zortea, Deiola, Makoumbou, Adopo, Augello; Luvumbo, Piccoli

Venezia possible starting lineup:

Radu; Schingtienne, Idzes, Cande; Zerbin, Doumbia, Caviglia, Busio, Ellertsson; Gytkjaer, Yeboah