Leaky Monza meet overachieving Cagliari with Pisacane in the stands
Ivan Jurić’s side are 15th with four points and have conceded 15 goals in six games. Cagliari sit seventh on 13 points and have let in only three, but they will be without Fabio Pisacane on the touchline: the Cagliari boss serves a one-match ban after his post-match row with Luciano Spalletti following the 1-1 draw with Juventus, and assistant Giacomo Murelli takes charge. The game is at the U-Power Stadium on Monday, 19 October 2026, in the 18:30 opener of the Monday double-header that closes Serie A matchday seven. Andrea Calzavara is the referee.
“My teams normally concede very few goals. We must improve and it isn’t one player’s fault.” – Monza manager Ivan Jurić (translated)
Predicted lineups: Monza vs Cagliari
Monza are without Lorenzo Lucchesi, suspended after his red card at Lazio, so Saba Goglichidze is expected to step into the back three. Jurić has also lost Maye and Exequiel Zeballos to fresh injuries, while Pessina, Ziółkowski and Touré remain out. Patrick Ciurria is back in the squad for the first time in around two months. Cagliari still miss Idrissi, Trepy and Felici but have Deiola and Mina available. The open question is whether Pisacane’s hint about two strikers turns into Nzola or Kevin Carlos alongside Paul Mendy; the graphic below shows the more widely reported set-up with Mendy as the lone striker, supported by Maldini and Fazzini.
Monza Team News & Preview
The 3-1 defeat at Lazio summed up Monza’s season so far. They were 2-0 down after 23 minutes, lost Lucchesi to a red card ten minutes later and still created enough to get back into it: Goglichidze headed in from a corner just after the break and Birindelli missed a one-on-one at 2-1 before Pinamonti settled it. Local coverage has pointed to individual errors and a lack of cover in front of the back three, with Folorunsho and Akinsanmiro asked to hold the middle without Pessina. Jurić has promised changes and admitted the midfield must improve a lot.
The attacking side is far healthier. Monza have scored in every league game, Gustavo Varela has four goals in five appearances and is the side’s best-rated player on FotMob (7.33), and only a handful of teams have produced more shots on target per game. At home they have scored twice in both matches, beating Sassuolo 2-1 after losing 3-2 to Udinese.
What works for or against Monza
- Monza have scored in all six league games and average 6.0 shots on target per match.
- Gustavo Varela has four goals in five league appearances.
- 15 goals conceded in six games, with Lucchesi now suspended.
- Maye and Zeballos are fresh injury absentees.
Cagliari Team News & Preview
Cagliari have been the surprise package of the opening weeks, and their away form is the standout: wins at Parma, Atalanta and Udinese, all by a single goal. Daniel Maldini, back at the club where he scored seven Serie A goals, has four league goals and opened the scoring against Juventus from Mendy’s assist. Juventus equalised through Kolo Muani with nine minutes left and hit the bar soon after, which says plenty about how much Cagliari have relied on Elia Caprile, Sky’s man of the match that night.
Pisacane’s ban adds a layer of uncertainty, but his comments before the trip were clear enough: this could be the game to start two strikers. That would make Cagliari more of a threat on the counter, the area Jurić himself flagged as the biggest danger.
What works for or against Cagliari
- Three away games, three away wins.
- Daniel Maldini has scored four league goals.
- The defence has been far busier than three goals conceded suggests: 10.7 xG against in six games.
- Pisacane is suspended and watches from the stands.
Monza vs Cagliari Odds
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Monza vs. Cagliari Stats Comparison
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Monza vs. Cagliari Form Guide
Monza Form, Stats & Data
The gap between Monza’s xG against (1.18 per game) and their actual concession rate (2.50) is the most striking number in this fixture. Part of that is a tough early schedule with trips to Inter and Lazio, part of it is error-strewn defending, and a red card in Rome did not help. Going forward, 1.73 xG per game is a mid-table output and fully in line with the fact that they have not failed to score yet.
Cagliari Form, Stats & Data
Cagliari’s numbers tell two stories. They are ruthless enough to win games 1-0 on 1.00 xG per match, but they are also allowing 1.78 xG per game, and only Caprile’s form (7.89 on FotMob, the highest in the squad) has kept the goals against down to three. Sitting deep with under 40% of the ball works away from home, yet it invites exactly the volume of shots Monza like to take.
Monza vs Cagliari: Prediction & Betting Tip
I do not trust either side enough to back a winner, but both trends point towards goals at each end. Monza have scored in every game and concede in every game, and their two home matches finished 2-3 and 2-1. Cagliari have scored in five of six, add Maldini’s form to the threat of Mendy on the break, and could start with two strikers. Their defence has been living off Caprile’s saves against a steady flow of chances.
The biggest risk is Cagliari’s record: three clean sheets and only one goal conceded away from home, plus a Monza side that might be more cautious after Jurić’s promised changes. That is why this is not a bigger stake. But Cagliari’s 1.78 xG against per game is not the profile of a team that keeps blanking opponents for long, and Monza shoot often enough to test it.
Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.78 with Winz is the bet. Correct score: 1-1.