Cagliari and Inter Milan play in the second round of Serie A

Cagliari and Inter Milan face each other this Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 3:45 p.m. (Brasília time), in the second round of the Italian Championship. The match, played at Unipol Domus stadium, brings together two sides that won their opening fixtures and sit on three points in the standings.

Teams' form at the start of the season

Cagliari arrives buoyed after beating Parma 1‑0 away in the competition’s opening round. The side coached by Fabio Pisacane sits in seventh place and has a run of four wins and one draw in its last five games, now looking to turn Unipol Domus into a more favorable environment.

Inter Milan, the current Italian champion, thrashed Monza 4‑1 in the opener and sits second with the best goal difference in the tournament. The team led by Cristian Chivu also hasn’t lost in five matches, recording four wins and one draw in the recent period.

Absences and news in the squads

For the home clash, Cagliari will be without defender Riyad Idrissi, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. Another confirmed absentee is Yael Trepy, sidelined for medical reasons, while Sebastiano Esposito is unlikely to be listed as his departure is already being arranged.

On Inter’s side, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is back in the squad after serving a suspension for accumulated cards. Conversely, Djed Spence is a doubt because of his physical condition, which could keep Andy Diouf in the right‑wing slot.

Head‑to‑head history in the tournament

The league’s head‑to‑head record shows a clear advantage for Inter Milan, with 20 wins, six draws and only four victories for Cagliari. In the most recent encounters, the Milan side captured 28 of the last 30 points contested against the opponent.

When playing at home, Cagliari has suffered six consecutive defeats to Inter Milan and has failed to score in the last three meetings held at its stadium.

Probable line‑ups and broadcast

The match will be broadcast live on the Disney+ streaming platform. Cagliari is expected to line up Elia Caprile; Zé Pedro, Juan Rodríguez and Adam Obert; Alessandro Deiola, Alessandro Romano, Harry Winks, Michel Ndary Adopo and Jacopo Fazzini; Daniel Maldini and Paul Mendy.

Inter Milan’s likely formation includes Josep Martínez; Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni; Andy Diouf, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Piotr Zielinski and Federico Dimarco; Pio Esposito and Lautaro Martínez.

With information from Gazeta Esportiva, Terra, LANCE!.