Cagliari and Bologna will clash at the stadium in Sardinia.

After securing two wins and a draw against Juventus in their last three matches, an optimistic Cagliari team aimed to overcome Udinese on Friday night. However, their hopes diminished when Antoine Makoumbou received a reckless second yellow card just 30 minutes in. 

As a result, Davide Nicola's squad remains in the bottom half of the table and faces a challenging set of fixtures ahead. Earlier in the season, victories over Serie B teams Carrarese and Cremonese allowed them to reach the Coppa Italia's last 16, where they will face Juventus in mid-December. Before that match, Cagliari must contend with tough opponents like Lazio, Milan, Fiorentina, and Atalanta.

Bologna, on the other hand, also struggled to add points over the weekend, as their scheduled match against Milan at Stadio Dall'Ara was postponed due to flooding in Emilia-Romagna. Lega Serie A made this decision for safety reasons, with a new date likely in February since both clubs are engaged in either the Coppa Italia or Champions League during the midweeks.

Bologna's debut season in the Champions League has been rocky; following last week’s 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, they have managed just one point from three league-phase matches without scoring. Their performance in Serie A hasn't fared much better, with last season’s top-five finish feeling like a distant memory. They currently sit level with Cagliari in the standings, having drawn six of their eight league matches and holding one game in hand.