If you rewind the clock by just one week, everything looked decidedly bleak in Sardinia – Without a win since their 2-1 home defeat of Genoa in early December, and with only three points taken from a possible 18 since then, the Isolani sat in a lowly 15th position, just four points clear of the dreaded drop-zone.
The club had already lost star midfielder Radja Nainggolan to Roma early in the January transfer window, which did nothing to help their predicament, as the Belgian’s presence in the middle was sorely missed during subsequent defeats to Juventus and Atalanta.
Off the field, things weren’t any better, with rumours linking President Massimo Cellino with a takeover of English club Leeds United refusing to go away. Fears continue to grow that the Rossoblu chairman could neglect the club he acquired from the Orru brothers over 20 years ago in favour of his new project, as his company Eleonara Sport Ltd secured a controlling share of 75% in the Elland Road outfit on Saturday, subject to approval from the Football League.
Due to safety concerns, ongoing reconstruction at the Stadio Sant’Elia also continues to limit the capacity at the Sardi’s home ground. However, the 5,000-strong crowd of Cagliari faithful still packed into the North stand when AC Milan came to visit last Sunday, hoping there would be something to cheer about after all the troubles they have endured so far this campaign.
Marco Sau’s 28th minute strike gave the hosts great hope, and the Isolani tifosi were on tenterhooks for over an hour, as their team defended like lions, performing admirably to deny the Diavolo on so many occasions. They looked almost certain to arrest their recent poor run of results.
The fans were ready to erupt in celebration, and everybody was praying for referee Daniele Doveri to bring an end to proceedings, but the official instead blew his whistle to award Milan a free-kick in the 86th minute, following Matias Cabrera’s handball on the edge of the area.
The anticipation had reached boiling point, and Sardi hearts were in mouths as Mario Balotelli stepped up to hit the resulting dead ball – Despite doing their level best to distract the Rossoneri striker, he fired over the wall and into Vlada Avramov’s net to equalise for the visitors, and things were to go from bad to worse, with Giampaolo Pazzini scoring from a Keisuke Honda corner with one minute left to play. In little over 120 seconds, the hosts’ bubble had been well and truly burst, as ecstasy turned to despair.
Having been in-front for so long, and played so well along the way, to lose in this manner was a monumental disappointment for the Sardinians, and they rightly brought their anger and frustration into the week 22 fixture against Fiorentina, determined to get the victory they felt had been unfairly snatched away from them seven days previously.
The venue was the same, with the Casteduu facing another home encounter against yet another of Serie A’s top sides – They had admittedly had a tough run since the turn of the year, with Sunday’s game against a Viola coming after losses to Italian champions Juve, the Diavolo, and in-form Atalanta.
Just like in the 2-1 defeat to the Rossoneri, Cagliari went 1-0 up thanks to a 39th minute penalty converted by Mauricio Pinilla (who has incidentally netted the Rossoblu’s last four goals against the Gigliati), to set up a nerve-racking second half, with everyone associated with the Sardi desperate for lightning not to strike twice at the Stadio Sant’Elia.
Luckily for them, there was to be no feeling of deja vu on Sunday, as the Isolani held firm for the full 90 minutes to earn a well-deserved win, which should instil renewed belief and could be the springboard needed for a strong finish to the season.
You could argue that the Isolani came up against the Toscani at an ideal time, as they were significantly weakened by having both first-choice strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez out injured as well as Nenad Tomovic and Juan Cuadrado in the treatment room. However, the home side displayed commendable desire and a team spirit which will serve them greatly in their bid to remain in the Italian top division for another season.
All over the field, the Sardi players stood up and made themselves counted, in what was an aggressive performance full of counterattacking intent. Their compact and resolute defensive unit is the only all-Italian back-line in Serie A, and they provided a classic example of good old-fashioned catenaccio by shutting their opponents out for the full 90 minutes, and ensuring that Avramov was little more than a spectator, with Neto clearly the busier of the two ‘keepers.
Luca Rossettini and Davide Astori are developing into one of the most effective centre-back pairings in the league, and they marshalled Viola striker Alessandro Matri expertly, nullifying his attacking threat, as he fell victim to the Sardi offside trap with some regularity. Astori recently signalled his intent to stay at the club amid interest from Turkish side Galatasaray, and his declarations are excellent news for Cagliari, as the Milan youth product looks almost certain to stay at least until the summer.
Native Sardi Nicola Murru proved to be the best defender on the field on Sunday, and at the tender age of 19, he clearly has a big future in the game. He won six aerial duels, and made four tackles, more than any of his teammates, and never shirked his defensive responsibilities. He also put some dangerous balls into the opponents’ box down the other end during a display which will further enhance his burgeoning reputation.
Another player who has risen through the club’s ranks, Marco Sau, caused all sorts of problems for the Viola with his pace, constantly running at the Gigliati defenders, drawing the foul from Facundo Roncaglia which led to the decisive penalty.
Perhaps the best of the bunch however, was Daniele Dessena, who stepped out of Nainggolan’s shadow to produce a man of the match performance, in which he never stopped running from start to finish. He really sacrificed himself for his team, and received a yellow card and a one match suspension following his challenge just before the break, which halted a dangerous Viola attacking move.
New signings Matias Vecino and Adryan also made late cameos in the second period, and showed promise, suggesting that the Isolani have made two good acquisitions in the winter transfer window, with the former in-particular, displaying technical quality and a good command of the basics.
It’s certainly been a positive week in Sardinia, but they can’t rest on their laurels, and will hope to continue their purple patch when they visit Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris next Sunday.
Follow Anthony Alborino on Twitter: @anthonyalborino
