Juventus Stumbles in Cagliari; Kolo Muani Misses the Game-Winning Goal
A setback for Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus: the Bianconeri could only manage a 1-1 draw at Cagliari in Sunday’s late match on Matchday 6 of Serie A. Kolo Muani equalized Daniel Maldini’s goal in the second half, but then squandered a chance to score the winning goal in the final minutes of the match. In the standings, the Old Lady sits in sixth place with 11 points, five points behind co-leaders Inter and Lazio. The Sardinians continue to surprise, sitting in fourth place with 13 points.
In the first half, Juventus controlled the game but their possession was ineffective, and Cagliari showed no mercy. At the Unipol Domus, the visitors pose a threat only from long range or through individual flashes of brilliance, while Pisacane’s team is well organized on the field. The home team waits for the right moment and then strikes, lethally: in the 20th minute, a combination play between Maldini and Mendy sends the son of a former star into the Bianconeri penalty area; thanks to a series of deflections, the former Lazio player beats Vicario to put the Rossoblù ahead.
The Bianconeri’s response was clumsy and stilted: Nico Gonzalez and McKennie tried their luck from distance but lacked accuracy; in fact, it was the Sardinians who once again gave Vicario a scare through Winks. Spalletti was visibly nervous at halftime; in the second half, he immediately brought on Zhegrova for Conceiçao and Alajbegovic for McKennie.
The Kosovar international seemed decidedly more inspired than the player he replaced, and in the 52nd minute, he forced Caprile into a save. In the 60th minute, Juventus nearly collapsed: Vicario made two decisive saves against Mendy. Spalletti played the Woltemade card, bringing him on for Nico Gonzalez. Zhegrova continued to keep Caprile busy, and Juventus significantly ramped up the pressure.
In the 81st minute, the equalizer comes, courtesy of the newly substituted Alajbegovic, who finds Kolo Muani with a precise cross: the Frenchman beats Obert to the ball and heads it in to make it 1-1. The Old Lady pushes forward in search of the win, and Spalletti brings on Koopmeiners for Douglas Luiz. Once again, Kolo Muani—set up yet again by Alajbegovic—misses a chance to take the lead by hitting the crossbar from close range; shortly after, Caprile makes a spectacular save on a shot by Muani, but the former Tottenham player was offside. The match ends with this result—it’s not enough for Juve.
