Cagliari vs Spezia

Cagliari and Spezia go head-to-head at Sardegna Arena in their opening 2021/22 Serie A fixture.

Cagliari were dancing on the edge of a cliff for most of last season but managed to avoid relegation after going unbeaten in seven of their final eight Serie A fixtures of 2020/21 (W4, D3). With supporters returning to attendance, the ‘Sardinians’ will hope to improve upon a disappointing 19-home-point tally from 2020/21, their worst home return since the club’s 2014/15 relegation campaign. However, the hosts have picked up just one win in their last eight Serie A openers (D2, L5), courtesy of a 2-1 win over Atalanta in 2013. Additionally, Leonardo Semplici’s men face the risk of going four consecutive Serie A matches without scoring for the second time in just over a year, having failed to find the net in their final three league games of 2020/21.

On the other hand, Spezia defied relegation prospects last term, accruing 39 Serie A points, more than any other top-flight debutant since 2001/02. It is now up to new boss Thiago Motta to pick up where Vincenzo Italiano left off in 2020/21. But, Motta’s previous Serie A arrangement saw him pick up just one win in nine Serie A games in charge of Genoa (D3, L5) before receiving marching orders. His first task will be to shore up Spezia’s defensive woes, as they have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 16 league outings, the longest ongoing such streak among teams featuring in the top-flight this term. Spezia will be keen to emulate their flying start to the previous league campaign that saw them go unbeaten in four of their opening five Serie A fixtures in 2020/21 (W2, D2).