Another point that is of little use to Juric’s Bull. Forty-five minutes of boredom resolved by the blitz of Pobega, the best among the grenades, who with his right puts Cragno in difficulty: rejected on Carboni’s feet for the surprise Toro advantage. Then the midfielder exits at half-time and Juric’s side shrunk, conceding a spectacular reverse kick from Joao Pedro and then conceding up to 10 minutes from time. Cagliari-Turin would be summarized like this, a time for each side and a right 1-1, if in the last minutes Praet, Zaza and Baselli did not waste three clear opportunities to bring Toro back forward. And, net of the last Sardinian blasts resolved with a bit of trouble by the defense well led by Bremer, with one of those goals three gold points would have been won hands down for the grenade classification. Instead of the “ifs” of the final match they do little and return to Turin with a 1-1 that smacks of regrets against the penultimate Cagliari, after the 2-2 against Empoli gained from a condition of double advantage.
The first half
A goal, or rather an own goal, somewhat surprisingly breaks the balance between Cagliari and Turin. Despite himself, Carboni signed it, betrayed by Cragno who did not hold back Pobega’s great right-footed shot from a distance in the 31st minute. Before the match had started with a precise script, undergoing few variations: Cagliari tries to plot on the grenade trocar, looking for the crosses on which Milinkovic-Savic is attentive. Il Toro, on the other hand, looks for the long ball for Sanabria launched towards the goal defended by Cragno. At 4 ‘Brekalo immediately scratches the Sardinian defense with a parable on which Bremer comes close to the winning header, the ball slips behind him but Buongiorno does not find the winning deviation. First thrill of the match, but Cagliari reacts immediately with a cross for Joao Pedro on which Ola Aina is effective in the disturbing action. The minutes pass without either team accelerating, with Toro who seems to be able to create greater dangers for the Sardinian defense but without sinking the blow.
At 20 ‘still neither of the two teams has shot towards the goal. Pjaca remedies a blow to the head, but the consequences are not serious. Two minutes later Lukic naively lands Joao Pedro on the trocar and from that free kick comes Carboni’s header at the far post that threatens to surprise the grenade defense, the ball ends up high over the crossbar. At 26 ‘Milinkovic-Savic risks big with his feet, Nandez recovers and flies into the area but on the low cross for Joao Pedro the goalkeeper remedies and blocks.
At 31 ‘Pobega starts on his own and from outside the box explodes the right towards Cragno who dives but the smear on the rebound is lethal: the ball ends up on the feet of Carboni – pressed by Sanabria – who cannot avoid turning towards his own door. Taurus ahead 0-1. The bull in the lead has a noticeable drop in tension, also favored by the angry reaction of Cagliari that makes it rain balls in the grenade area. Nandez and Joao Pedro try, but the conclusions are all far from the posts while Bremer looms in the rear. The first half ends with Mazzarri angry with the referee and the Sardinian team under pressure without success. All open for recovery.
The recovery
The resumption of Cagliari-Turin begins. For Juric inside Baselli, outside Pobega: the best among the grenades in the first half. The rossoblùs start with more bite and at 6 ‘arrive one step away from the goal, with a remote-controlled cross on Joao Pedro’s head: the Brazilian kicks in without fail but Milinkovic-Savic finds the answer as a phenomenon. Managed by instinct and door secured, the advantage of the Bull resists. It does not last long, however, because * on a vacant ball Joao Pedro finds the magic in reverse: fantastic goal and 1-1. It is a monologue of Cagliari, with a corner that ends up on Ceppitelli’s head who pushes the ball out of the posts from a good position. Bull on the ropes.
To give a shock, Juric inserts Praet and Zaza in place of Brekalo and Sanabria. The reaction does not arrive, the game returns to a lower pace and neither Cagliari nor Toro come close to doubling. To dominate is boredom for long minutes, then Zaza shows up launching himself on a solitary counterattack in the 28th minute but the last pass for Praet is intercepted at the last. At 10 ‘from the end Pjaca invents a perfect filter for Praet on which Godin punches the intervention but the Belgian of first intention does not find the door, wasting an important opportunity face to face with Cragno. Not even a minute passes and it is Zaza to waste, left alone on the far post to finish with his head but the striker does not find the mirror of the goal.
Cagliari returns to the parts of Milinkovic-Savic but Zima is good at anticipating Pavoletti on a vacant ball that risked becoming insidious, in the overturning in front of Praet steals the ball from Carboni on a serious error by Dalbert but does not find the winning dribbling in front of the last obstacle, the newly entered Godin. 4 ‘from the end Praet invents a little dig and sends Baselli one meter from the goal, but the midfielder shoots high. In the final there is the return of Cagliari, but MIlinkovic-Savic is inactive. It ends 1-1 between Cagliari and Turin, two teams that close the match with regrets.
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