Napoli vs Cagliari Prediction 4 December 2025

📢 How will the clash between Napoli and Cagliari unfold in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium? The reigning Serie A champions host an opponent who haven't tasted victory in nine consecutive matches, teetering on the brink of an unwelcome milestone. The gulf in class is clear, yet this is the Coppa Italia—a competition known for its surprises, where teams often approach a single match with a different mindset. That's why this encounter promises to be more intriguing than it might initially seem.

Head-to-Head

📊 The head-to-head history between Napoli and Cagliari includes 37 encounters in recent years. Napoli hold a clear advantage with 21 victories, while the "islanders" have managed just 4 wins, and 12 matches ended in a draw. This season, the teams have already faced each other once in Serie A's second round. On that occasion, Napoli secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory at home, scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute.

Napoli Team Overview

🔵 The November international break clearly did wonders for Napoli. The team managed to reset, leaving behind an unpleasant streak of three winless matches where they failed to score. Now, the "Partenopei" are back in form: three consecutive victories, including an away win against Roma (1-0) last weekend, who were leading the league at the time. The result was a true reflection of the game: Napoli looked significantly sharper than their opponents and could have secured a more convincing victory.

⚪ As the reigning champions of Italy, Napoli bypassed the previous round of the national cup and are only now entering the competition for the trophy.

Cagliari Calcio Team Overview

🔴 Cagliari approach the upcoming match in less than ideal form. The team has gone winless in their last nine outings, with their only victory in the past two months coming in the Coppa Italia. In the previous round, the "Islanders" defeated Frosinone 4-1. The game was fairly even until Frosinone ran out of steam; after the 67th minute, Cagliari found the net three times to secure their spot in the next stage.

🔵 Last weekend, Cagliari traveled to Turin for a clash with Juventus. Surprisingly, they took the lead but couldn't hold on, eventually falling 2-1. In terms of quality, the "Islanders" were far from a draw-worthy performance, as Juventus controlled the game for most of the match.

Latest news

Napoli

📣 Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte emphasized the importance of discipline and commitment from his squad following their away victory over Roma (1-0), particularly given the current personnel shortages: "We defended well and ran a lot against a team that usually attacks with great intensity. We're in a tough period with our lineup... But the guys responded brilliantly to all the setbacks, and this win sends a strong message." The coach added that he is proud of the team's character and their ability to overcome challenges: "I'm happy for these guys; it's tough for us, but we need to turn necessity into virtue and keep moving forward."

🚫 Napoli continue to deal with a growing list of unavailable players. Alex Meret and Kevin De Bruyne are expected back on the field only by mid-January—the former recovering from a broken foot, and the latter treating a thigh injury. Similar timelines apply to André Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour, who are undergoing rehabilitation for muscle and groin injuries, respectively. Miguel Gutierrez is aiming for a mid-December return following a shin injury. Romelu Lukaku remains doubtful as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury.

Cagliari Calcio

📣 Cagliari head coach Fabio Pisacane, following a 2-1 away defeat to Juventus, acknowledged the difference in class but praised his team for their effort: "We conceded and made mistakes during their equalizing goal, but I won't blame the guys – we were up against a team of immense quality. I want to focus on the positives of what we did." Pisacane admitted that his young squad lacks football "savvy": "In the future, I'd like to bring home fewer compliments and more points. The team is young; they have character, but we need more 'malice' – that crucial savvy in key moments."

🚫 Cagliari continue to face squad issues. Andrea Belotti remains sidelined until early April 2026 as he undergoes a lengthy recovery from a cruciate ligament rupture. Luca Mazzitelli won't return until at least mid-December due to a muscle injury. The participation of Yerry Mina and Zé Pedro is in doubt: one due to physical discomfort, the other due to lingering knee injury effects.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Napoli are significantly outperforming Cagliari in all aspects of the game and are likely to dominate throughout the match. The "Islanders," much like in their August encounter (0-1), will focus on defense and rarely venture beyond the halfway line. In that meeting, Cagliari failed to create any genuinely dangerous chances against Napoli's goal, and it's unlikely that much will change this time around. Therefore, betting on Cagliari not to score seems a reasonable option.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Cagliari are among the worst teams in Serie A when it comes to earning corners, averaging just 3.4 per match, with only three clubs having worse numbers. This is quite understandable as the "Islanders" almost always play defensively. In their last head-to-head against Napoli, they were overwhelmed in the corner count, losing 0-13. Thus, betting on Cagliari under 3.5 corners appears to be the most logical choice.

Editors' PredictionAccording to the bookmakers, Napoli are the clear favorites in the upcoming clash, and it's hard to argue with that assessment. Cagliari are in dire straits: a long winless streak has taken a toll on their morale, and against higher-caliber opponents, the "Islanders" often fall without much resistance. Therefore, even with a semi-rotated lineup, the hosts should settle matters within regular time. We're backing a Napoli victory. We expect to see a 2-0 scoreline on the board.

Editors' Prediction