CAGLIARI HUNT FOR RARE VIOLA SCALP AS SARDINIANS AIM TO BUILD ON MONZA MOMENTUM

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April 21, 2025

The vibrant Unipol Domus stadium in Sardinia will host an intriguing Easter Monday clash as a revitalized Cagliari welcome Fiorentina in a fixture that has historically favored the home side, despite recent trends suggesting otherwise.

Claudio Ranieri's Cagliari enter the match with renewed confidence following their emphatic 3-0 victory over Monza in their last home outing. That result has given the Rossoblu a golden opportunity to secure consecutive home wins for the first time since October-November 2023, while also potentially achieving back-to-back home clean sheets for the first time since April 2017.

"We've worked hard to rebuild our home fortress," said the veteran Italian coach. "The atmosphere at Unipol Domus gives us energy, and the players feel that responsibility to perform for our supporters. Against Fiorentina, we need to show the same determination we displayed against Monza."

The Sardinians have reason to believe they can upset Fiorentina, despite their recent struggles against the Viola. Cagliari have won 18 of their 42 home encounters with Fiorentina in Serie A – only against Sampdoria (20 in 36 matches) have they recorded more home victories in the top flight.

More encouragingly, Cagliari have been one of Serie A's most improved teams in 2025, collecting 16 points since January compared to just 14 in the first half of the season. This positive trend is matched by only three other clubs in the division – Roma (34 points in 2025 vs 20 before), Bologna (29 vs 28), and Genoa (20 vs 19).

However, history isn't entirely on Cagliari's side. They remain winless in their last eight Serie A matches against Fiorentina (3 draws, 5 losses) and have failed to score in six of those encounters, including this season's reverse fixture. Their last victory against the Viola came back in November 2019, a memorable 5-2 triumph at the Unipol Domus.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, arrive in Sardinia with their own point to prove. After winning four consecutive away games earlier in the season, Raffaele Palladino's men have stumbled on their travels, claiming just one victory in their last eight away fixtures (2 draws, 5 losses). This recent road record has seen them collect a mere five points – only Parma (4), Empoli (3), and Monza (0) have performed worse away from home in 2025.

"Our away form hasn't matched our capabilities," admitted Palladino. "We've analyzed the reasons and worked on solutions. Cagliari is always a difficult place to visit, but we're determined to return to winning ways on the road."

The Viola, currently battling for European qualification, can take heart from their recent dominance over Cagliari, having won each of their last three Serie A encounters against the Rossoblu. A fourth consecutive victory would represent a first in their history against this particular opponent in the top flight.

Defensively, Fiorentina have shown significant improvement, keeping clean sheets in four of their last six league games after managing just one shutout in their previous 12 Serie A matches. They now face the prospect of drawing three consecutive league games for the second time under Palladino, having previously done so in their opening three fixtures of the current campaign.

Individual performances could prove decisive. Cagliari left-back Tommaso Augello has emerged as a surprising creative force, providing six assists this season – all from crosses. This puts him in elite company for the Sardinians, with only Andrea Cossu providing more cross-assisted goals (7 in 2009/10, 8 in 2010/11, and 8 in 2012/13) in a single season over the past two decades.

For Fiorentina, Moise Kean represents their primary attacking threat. The Italian striker has contributed to 20 goals this season (17 goals, 3 assists), putting him on track to become the most productive Italian player for the Viola in a single Serie A campaign since Alberto Gilardino's 21-goal involvement in 2008/09. Kean has a mixed record against Cagliari – scoring twice in his first two appearances against them but failing to register a goal or assist in his last three encounters.

One curious statistical anomaly involves corner kicks. Despite Cagliari (157) having taken 33 more corners than Fiorentina (124) this season – with only Venezia and Monza recording fewer than the Viola – Palladino's side have been remarkably efficient from these situations. Fiorentina share the best corner-to-goal conversion rate in Serie A alongside Inter, scoring once every 18 corners.

As Easter Monday showcases this fascinating encounter, both teams will view the match as a crucial opportunity to advance their respective seasonal objectives – Cagliari to further distance themselves from relegation concerns and Fiorentina to reinvigorate their European qualification hopes.

We thank OPTA for providing the statistical data. Photo: source XYZ