Cagliari vs. Juventus match preview: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch the Serie A

Following Juventus’ wins over Bologna and Roma final month, we knew that the schedule would ease up a bit. Out goes opponents for the highest 4 and race for a European place, in would come the provincial sides lined up one after the other for the higher a part of the following 4 weeks.

We’re within the ultimate a part of these 4 weeks of that favorable schedule now, with an enormous three-game stretch domestically and in Europe on deck come the beginning of the brand new work week.

However first, there’s that one final fixture earlier than greater ones arrive.

That fixture in opposition to one other considered one of Serie A’s relegation battlers, Cagliari, takes Juventus to Sardinia this Saturday night time for what could possibly be a matchup that continues this very nice run of type Luciano Spalletti’s squad is presently on. With Napoli dropping factors but once more earlier within the week, this time in a scoreless draw in opposition to Parma, Juve are only one level behind the reigning champions who now not have their sport in hand. Which means if the traits of the 2 squads proceed, Juventus may very properly be forward of Napoli and in third place when Antonio Conte’s squad make their method to Turin subsequent weekend for an enormous showdown on the Allianz Stadium.

Earlier than that, although — and earlier than Juve can change their focus to the return of the Champions League on Wednesday night time — there’s the matter of taking good care of enterprise in opposition to the membership that’s presently sitting in Sixteenth place within the Serie A standings.

It’s that Sixteenth-place standing that very a lot represents Cagliari’s type for a lot of this season. I say that as a result of on high of struggling a 2-1 defeat to Juventus again on Nov. 29, they’ve received all of two video games in all competitions since late September — a stretch of 17 video games that has seen them tumble down the standings after their brilliant begin to the 2025-26 season.

You see that type after which the shape that Juve are presently within the midst of and also you assume that one other three factors are within the bag so long as Spalletti’s squad carry on taking part in like they’ve been taking part in. And that’s very a lot most likely the case. Nevertheless it’s additionally one thing that we most likely thought when Juventus confronted Lecce a few weeks in the past … and everyone knows how that one turned out.

So, as straightforward as it’s to sit up for what’s on the schedule come subsequent week (and the following 10 days), rely Spalletti as anyone who isn’t going to be falling into that lure. We all know that as a result of he stated so throughout his pre-match press convention on Friday.

““For us proper now, the one sport we’re fascinated by is the one away to Cagliari,“ the Tuscan tactician stated. ”In fact, there are plans past this weekend’s sport, however we’re solely fascinated by what’s subsequent. … We’re specializing in one sport at a time, finding out every one with depth however with out overfilling the gamers’ heads.”

Positive, there’s some teaching cliché speak there, but it surely’s additionally fairly true — particularly when you think about the very actual risk that Juventus would possibly truly finish the weekend in third place. That’s as a result of Napoli are fighting three straight attracts to their title and simply two wins of their final six video games. The strain may be very a lot on them to try to flip issues round in some type of approach earlier than they’ve their very own return to the Champions League after which make the journey to Turin subsequent weekend.

Stress on Juventus? Not likely. They definitely aren’t taking part in prefer it in the mean time. They’re trying some type of reverse to that, with this run of provincial golf equipment on the schedule actually being the factor that has allowed Spalletti to construct some momentum and get his new squad on a pleasant run of outcomes. (Sure, even with the extremely irritating draw in opposition to Lecce thrown in there as properly.)

That is Juventus’ probability to both leap over or pull even with Napoli this weekend … or simply put themselves able to do the identical factor subsequent weekend. An improved run of type has allowed Juventus to have the ability to say that. Now it’s all about merely taking good care of enterprise another time in opposition to a relegation battler earlier than a lot greater fixtures arrive.

And the way issues are going proper now, you most likely have a fairly good feeling that may occur precisely as you hope.

Kenan Yildiz has been battling some flu signs the final couple of days, so it’s not completely recognized simply how near 100% he will likely be this weekend. Chico Conceição is, once more, simply again from a minor-ish muscle damage and doubtless received’t have the ability to deal with a heavy workload. Edon Zhegrova remains to be on a minutes restrict as he has remained an choice off the bench and nearly solely that.

So it solely is sensible to speak concerning the one superior participant that’s most likely at full-steam-ahead mode in the mean time.

Are we within the midst of Fabio Miretti’s greatest run of type since he broke into the senior squad at Juventus as a young person a number of years in the past? Perhaps! He’s definitely taking part in fairly properly throughout his first prolonged interval of taking part in time since getting back from his mortgage spell at Genoa over the summer time.

And also you higher imagine that the memes are already beginning recognized that Miretti now wears the identical package variety of a sure former Juventus midfielder who completed a factor or two over his profession.

Irrespective of the place you fall within the discourse, Miretti has been a considerably stunning contributor in latest weeks just because we weren’t completely positive the place he would match into Spalletti’s plans. Was he going to play in a pivot? Would he play additional up the sphere? Might he deal with issues if he did play additional up the sphere and be a supply of creativity as Juventus’ different forwards/wingers normally are?

Properly, my pals, I’ve received some information for you … Miretti’s doing fairly OK on this superior position.

Say regardless of the heck you need concerning the stage of opposition Juventus have performed in opposition to within the final couple of weeks, however Miretti being a authentic contributor to wins each when it comes to scoring targets and creating scoring possibilities for his teammates was one thing we would not have anticipated in such a thrust into the forefront type of approach. Spalletti clearly charges Miretti, who at 22 simply seems to be way more comfy on the sphere in comparison with the times earlier than he went on mortgage to Genoa for the 2024-25 season.

This model of Miretti, one which Juve may actually use on the subject of manufacturing going ahead over the following few weeks with so many large video games on the schedule, is beginning to appear to be the participant who many people hoped he may grow to be when he was nonetheless a young person. Among the passes he’s dished out the final couple of video games are a number of the greatest we’ve seen from any Juve participant this season. On high of that, the superior position he’s now taking part in in — be it as a No. 10 or as one of many attacking mids when Spalletti goes with extra of a three-man protection — is one thing he’s actually taken to.

Now, very similar to the crew as a complete going into subsequent week’s large fixtures, he simply must preserve it going. He does that and hopefully good issues proceed to occur as a result of he’s been an enormous a part of Juve’s final couple of wins.

When: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.

The place: Unipol Domus, Cagliari, Italy.

Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Japanese time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.

Tv: TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 1, TNT Sports activities 3 (United Kingdom); Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Sport 251 (Italy).

On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Golazo Community, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).

Different stay viewing choices may be discovered right here, and as all the time, it’s also possible to observe together with us stay and all of the silly issues we are saying on Bluesky. In case you haven’t already, be part of the group on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be part of within the dialogue under.