Cagliari vs Cittadella | All you need to know.
On December 14, 2021 by Jake IovineThe Coppa Italia Round of 32 is here! In probably the hardest test for Cittadella so far, the Granata travel to Sardegna looking to crash the party.
The match every Cittadella fan circled on their calendars from August. After defeating Monza in the first match of the season, a trip to Cagliari was set for December.
Only hours away comes the biggest test for Cittadella this season. Against a Serie A team on the road, this match would give us a great perspective of how good this Granata team is.
On a seven match unbeaten run, there is a sense of belief Cittadella can make a “cupset” on Wednesday night. When you look at the opponent, Cagliari have been struggling in Serie A this season, despite having a deep squad.
Coming off a 4-0 hammering at San Siro Sunday night, it sets up two teams trending in different directions. Cagliari are winless in their last nine matches, and currently sit two points off bottom of Serie A.
A surprising state that Cagliari are in at the moment. Despite having a squad with the likes of Diego Godin, Kevin Shrootman, Keita Baldé, and Joao Pedro, Cagliari have only one win this season. In serious trouble–and desperate for a win– good showing against Cittadella is expected. A loss means chaos for the Rossoblù.
Trending in the opposite direction, Cittadella have their own questions coming into Sardegna. With a tight schedule before the winter break, head coach Edoardo Gorini must make a decision with his lineup.
One of those questions is about Enrico Baldini. In tremendous form, Gorini will have to decide to rest or give playing time to the forward. When you look at the fixtures on the forecast, Brescia awaits next Sunday, followed by Cosenza and Vicenza before New Years Day.
The main goal of Cittadella is straightforward: achieve promotion to Serie A. It’s been the goal for many years, and despite five straight playoff appearances, Serie A keeps slipping away from the Granata. With this said, it’ll be interesting to see how much priority Gorini will give to the Coppa Italia. The last thing everyone wants is an injury to an important player, and he’s out for a few weeks in the league.
So if it’s very unlikely a Serie B club will win the Coppa Italia, why try in the first place? Well, a match against Sassuolo is not the only prize the winner of this match will receive. An estimated 250,000 Euros are at stake for the winners in Sardegna.
For Cittadella, that’s a lot of money! In fact, that money can be spent strengthening the squad in the January transfer window, and even going into next summer.
Cagliari needs a win to physiologically get started after their poor opening matches this season. In the Coppa Italia, anything could happen, and Cittadella has done it before against the likes of SPAL, Empoli and Bologna. There’s no doubt Wednesday night will show competitiveness from both sides, as a place in the Round of 16 awaits!