Rossoblù in the lead with Joao Pedro then the game turns into a nightmare
The “manita” of Udinese is a heavy slap not only in terms of classification but also for the morale of Cagliari, humiliated by the Dacia Arena, thus collecting the fourth setback in a row. A 5-1 defeat in which everyone is responsible starting with the coach Mazzarri who made several mistakes in setting up the game. The rossoblùs were overwhelmed by the physical superiority of their opponents so much that they could not even take advantage of the opportunity of the leading goal scored by Joao Pedro, who scored after seven fasting games.
The deployment. Mazzarri started with the 3-5-2 keeping Dalbert inside midfield but moving Bellanova to the left side lanes and inserting Zappa on the right. It was understood since the press conference on Saturday that the photograph of Zappa’s cross with which Pavoletti had hit the crossbar against Milan had remained indelibly impressed on him. But this time Zappa, who even touched the goal at the start of the second half, was run over on his side by the opponent’s boarding and little or nothing was seen forward. After the 3-1 still the mistake of deploying the back four on which the Udinese players have made real massacres, as well as scoring two more goals.
The match. In fact, the coach from San Vincenzo wanted to focus more on breaks in midfield and one-on-one duels rather than playing on the flanks which often brought him points. And in fact, at the beginning it seemed the right tactic given that first, in midfield, Joao Pedro stole the ball serving Dalbert who then engaged Silvestri in a corner intervention (11 ‘). Then it was up to Deiola to steal the ball from the opponents in midfield in the 32nd minute and serve Dalbert who then gave the center of the area to Joao Pedro who transformed the assist into pure football magic: surgical left foot and seven-a-side ball despite the dive desperate of the former Silvestri.
Cioffi’s Udinese put aside the staid pace and started again with momentum. Beto and Success forward triangulated and often embarrassed the Cagliari defenders, while on the flanks, especially from the left of their attack, the crosspieces fell. First came the draw in the 38th minute with Becao with an undersized shot, after two miraculous saves by Cragno. Then the advantage, right in the injury time granted by the referee Abisso from Palermo, one that obviously does not bring luck to the rossoblùs. Cross from the left by Pereyra and Beto has stunted under the gaze of Altare unable to prevent the conclusion of the Portuguese. In a few minutes the result changed overnight for Cagliari.
Disaster recovery. The second half was truly disastrous. Because the rossoblù, who also had a lot of time in front of them to be able to look for a difficult but not impossible comeback, immediately let the 3-1 goal be put in, on 4 ‘, by a Beto in a state of grace that launched from the midfield flew like a lonely gazelle towards Cragno and slipped him mercilessly.
At that point Mazzarri tried to run for cover by inserting Keita and Baselli for Altare and Zappa. The defense went to four with Bellanova back on the right and Dalbert fluidifying on the left, and Pereiro in support of the strikers: a 4-3-1-2 that added up everything offered further side to the Udinese barbarian incursions and did little in front . There was just a flash of Keita in the 11th minute with a nice shot in the area that Silvestri blocked. Then the other two goals from Udine: Molina’s lob three minutes after he caught Cragno off the posts, and Beto’s third goal on percussion again from the left in the 28th minute. Expelled for a double yellow card in the final Grassi. The only happy note is the return of Rog. A super player who, hopefully, can give more strength to the midfield.