Davide Nicola can smile. After a particularly difficult start, his Cagliari seem to have woken up by taking four points in two away games, both very difficult. After the victory against Parma, yesterday afternoon the point arrived at the Juventus Stadium in a match not without controversies (refereeing, obviously).
THE INITIAL CHOICES. Nicola opts for a 4-4-1-1, with Zortea and Augello on the wings to try to block their Juventus counterparts, Mbangula and Conceiçao in the circumstance, and Viola as the only support towards Piccoli. In defense confirmation for Obert.
FIRST HALF. Juventus, galvanized by the great achievement achieved at the home of Leipzig a few days ago, sets off with the intention of immediately taking control of the match, but has to deal with the rossoblù team, compact, concentrated, and ready to closely press the opposing game sources. But in the 14th minute Var is already the protagonist: corner for the Bianconeri, Gatti unbalances Luperto with his elbow who, as he falls, deflects the ball with his hand. Marinelli is immediately called back by his colleagues in the VAR room to evaluate what happened: it’s a penalty. In terms of the rules, the decision was correct, and Vlahovic took advantage of the only moment in which Mina wasn’t breathing down his neck to give his team the lead. The goal seems to discourage the rossoblù who risk capitulation on Koopmeiners and the same Vlahovic, but Scuffet says no. On the counterattack, Piccoli shoots high, ignoring Zappa only in the center of the area.
NICOLA’S CHANGES STILL DETERMINANT. Instead of diving headlong in search of an equalizer, Nicola chooses to use the weapon of patience. Without forcing the times, he opts for the entrances of Luvumbo, Marin and Kingstone. The Angolan, after a less than idyllic start, and an intervention in the area bordering on correctness, finds the measures to put the opposing defense in difficulty, and his right-footed shot commits Di Gregorio, who until then was in normal administration. For their part, Juventus maintains possession and teases their opponent, but is faced with a concentrated Scuffet. Vlahovic misses a sensational goal, not taking advantage of a response from the goalkeeper himself, and as happens in many common football stories, if you don’t close out the match you end up being punished. Piccoli is overwhelmed by an unwatchable Douglas Luis, and Marinelli assigns the penalty after the VAR review. Marin, with his second consecutive goal, gives the rossoblù the equalizer. Not even a minute later the same Tivoli referee waved the second yellow card to a naive Conceiçao for a dive in the middle of the area. The winger thought he could take home another penalty due to a hand on Obert’s back (good performance for the Slovakian). Marinelli is not of the same opinion and sanctions the simulation. In the eight minutes of injury time we had time to witness a post from Obert himself, and at the intersection taken directly from a corner by Fagioli. At the final whistle the rossoblù can celebrate a deserved point, considering the evolution of the match. But the controversy, as often happens in our local football, has just begun.