Previous encounters and all the facts: everything you need to know ahead of Inter vs. Cagliari

After the spectacular comeback in Como, Inter are ready to get back into action in the early kick-off of Serie A Matchday 33. The Nerazzurri will play Cagliari at San Siro on Friday, 17 April at 20:45 CEST.

Chivu’s side head into the game after extending their lead over Napoli in second place. Inter are currently at the top of the table with 75 points, while the Partenopei are nine points behind. Cagliari are coming to the Meazza on the back of a 1-0 victory in Sardinia against Cremonese, thanks to a goal from Sebastiano Esposito, securing three vital points in their relegation battle. This will be Inter and Cagliari’s first encounter in almost seven months. The reverse fixture ended 2-0 to Chivu’s side, thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and Pio Esposito’s first Serie A goal.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Inter and Cagliari have played each other 89 times before in Serie A, and on Friday, 17 April, it will be the 90th league encounter between the two sides. Inter lead the overall record with 46 wins, whereas Cagliari have 14, and 29 of the games have ended in a draw. The Nerazzurri have scored a total of 157 goals against Cagliari in Serie A, more than against any other opponent in the competition’s history. In the last 16 league encounters, Inter have recorded 13 victories and two draws with only one loss in the 2018/19 season. More recently, Inter have managed to keep a clean sheet in five of their last games against Cagliari, with seven wins and one draw.

THE NERAZZURRI’S FORM

Inter have the most prolific attack in Serie A, with 75 goals, at least 19 more than any other side (Como trail with 56). Chivu’s side have scored at least four goals in five home matches at San Siro this season (5 vs. Torino, 4 vs. Cremonese, 4 vs. Como, 6 vs. Pisa, 5 vs. Roma). The last time the team had such high-scoring home games was in the 2020/21 season, with six.

The numbers highlight two teams with very different identities. Inter lead Serie A this season for 512 open-play sequences of 10+ passes, while Cagliari are among the lowest with 219, and just five teams are below them. The Nerazzurri also have the most aerial goals in the top five European leagues with 17. Specifically in Serie A, Cagliari have scored nine headers, just behind Inter and Juventus (11). Inter are also the team that have taken the most shots in the league (564) and shots on target (198), while Cagliari have faced (149) shots on target, fewer than only Sassuolo and Cremonese. Finally, Inter have scored 21 of their 75 goals from crosses, the highest total in the league, whereas Cagliari have conceded eleven goals from crosses, the second-worst record in Serie A, with only Hellas Verona (12) behind them.

TIKUS 10 AND COUNTING

With his brace against Como at the Sinigaglia, Marcus Thuram has hit ten Serie A goals for the third consecutive season (13 in 2023/24, 14 in 2024/25). After a debut campaign which exclusively featured single goals, since the start of the 2024/25 season, the Frenchman has become the player with the most multi-goal games in Serie A, recording five braces and one hat-trick. Against Cagliari, Thuram provided an assist for Denzel Dumfries in August 2023 and scored in April 2024.

BARELLA’S HISTORY

Inter vs. Cagliari is always a special game for Barella, as he was born in Cagliari and came up through the club’s youth academy. The Nerazzurri midfielder spent four seasons with the Rossobluù first team, making 100 Serie A appearances. Since becoming a Nerazzurro, Barella has been directly involved in the most league goals against Cagliari, with one goal and six assists. He has also been involved in a goal in each of his last four Serie A matches: with assists against Atalanta and Fiorentina, a goal against Roma, and another assist against Como. With 64 chances created, the Inter midfielder ranks second among Italian players in Serie A this season, behind only teammate Federico Dimarco, who is top of the list with 83.

CALHANOGLU VS. CAGLIARI

Hakan Çalhanoglu has scored three Serie A goals for Inter against Cagliari. He has only scored more for the Nerazzurri against Napoli with five goals. The Turkish midfielder has also provided two assists in his last two games, setting up Thuram against Roma and Dumfries against Como.

THE OPPOSITION: CAGLIARI

In 16th place in the table on 33 points, Cagliari are currently six points away from the relegation zone. The Rossobluù are heading into the game on the back of a vital win in a direct clash against Cremonese at the Unipol Domus, with Fabio Pisacane’s side edging a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Sebastiano Esposito.

Cagliari have scored 33 goals and conceded 44 in Serie A this season. The victory over Cremonese brought their long-awaited hunt for a win, since their 4-0 success against Hellas Verona on 31 January, to an end. In the eight games leading up to that win, they only picked up two points from draws with Parma and Lazio, as well as defeats to Sassuolo, Napoli, Pisa, Como, Lecce, and Roma.

Cagliari are a well-organised side that combine young talent with experienced players. Pisacane’s Cagliari usually lined up in a 3-5-2 system, organised around a low block, with the wing-backs bringing width, particularly 2005-born Marco Palestra. Their top scorer in Serie A is Sebastiano Esposito with six goals, followed by the Turkish forward Semih Kilicsoy on four.

DISCIPLINARY SITUATION

SUSPENDED Inter: Sucic (1) Cagliari: –

AT RISK OF SUSPENSION Inter: Akanji Cagliari: Gaetano, Zé Pedro

REFEREES

Inter vs. Cagliari, on matchday 33, will be officiated by Matteo Marchetti from the Ostia Lido section. Referee: Marchetti Assistants: Rossi L. – Cavallina Fourth Official: Bonacina VAR: Meraviglia Assistant VAR: Di Bello

INTER VS. CAGLIARI, WHERE TO WATCH

Inter vs. Cagliari, on Matchday 33 of the 2025/26 Serie A season, takes place on Friday, 17 April at 20:45 CEST and will be broadcast exclusively live on DAZN and Sky. The match can be followed via the DAZN app on smart TVs or streamed on mobile devices such as PCs, smartphones, and tablets. The match will also be available on Sky Go and NOW TV on supported devices.

UPDATES ON INTER TV

On Inter TV, as always, you can catch updates and live coverage in the pre-match build-up, with the latest news from the San Siro ahead of the game. Our live match coverage for Inter vs. Cagliari will go live from 19:30 CEST and will also be available on YouTube via the Club’s official channel until 20:35 CEST. After the match, all the analysis, interviews, and in-depth coverage will be available.

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