Cagliari claimed a 1-1 draw at home to AC Milan on Wednesday night at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A.
Victor Ibarbo quickly had a shot cleared off the line but persisted to head the home side into the lead.
Giacomo Bonaventura’s stunning strike tied the game up at 1-1, and despite some Cagliari pressure the score remained equal.
Did we get our ratings right? Have your say in the comments below:
Cagliari
Alessio Cragno – 7 – Safe
Was left grasping at thin air for Bonaventura’s strike, but can’t be faulted. Came off his line to sweep up when needed and didn’t look shaky at any point.
Antonio Balzano – 6.5 – Marauding
Made some powerful runs down the right side, but end product was slightly lacking. Completed his defensive duties well enough.
Luca Ceppitelli – 7 – Strong
Was forced to deal with El Shaarawy on numerous occasions, and did quite well in capitalising on the poor touches which the player showed.
Luca Rossettini – 7 – Disciplined
Charged down when Honda opened up his body to shoot, and covered Torres’ runs into the box nicely.
Danilo Avelar – 6.5 – Calmer
Was hotheaded in the first 30 minutes and could have got himself sent off, but settled down to be disciplined for the rest of the game.
Lorenzo Crisetig – 6.5 – Engine
Put in a great shift, applying himself around most of the midfield but his overall influence wasn’t as great as the attacking line.
Daniele Conti – 7.5 – Unlucky
Had a very unlucky night, saw a powerful drive crack against the woodwork, after a teasing cross was inches away from assisting a goal.
Albin Ekdal – 5 – Lacking
Cagliari’s hero of recent weeks tried to get forward and support the attack but was overshadowed by Conti. Not the best of nights for the Swede.
Victor Ibarbo – 7.5 – Menacing
Had a very early chance cleared off the line, but then nodded Cagliari into the lead 20 minutes later. Led the counter attack charge and was a menace throughout the game.
Marco Sau – 6.5 – Provider
Did a lot of the work for Cagliari’s opener, cutting inside on the left wing before sending an excellent cross into the danger area.
Andrea Cossu – 6 – Link
Established a good forward link with Ibarbo and slid through a few through balls to the attacker. Was more the provider than finisher tonight.
Substitutes
Godfred Donsah – 5 – Replacement
The 18-year-old Ghanaian was given a run-out but was given a hard job in replacing Conti.
Diego Farias – 3 – Miss
Missed a golden opportunity late on.
Samuele Longo – N/A
AC Milan
Christian Abbiati – 4 – Poor
Absolutely should have done better with Ibarbo’s goal, as he recklessly came flying out to miss the ball. His distribution was simply awful in the second half and did his teammates no favours. Saved some low shots but nothing out of the ordinary.
Ignazio Abate – 6 – Attempting
Got forward and played a few useful through balls down the wing for Honda and Torres, but to no real avail. Did well defensively and wasn’t caught out of position.
Alex – 6.5 – Starter
Had most of his highlights in the first 30 minutes or so, making several good challenges to prevent Cagliari counter attacks. Arguably at fault for Ibarbo’s goal.
Adil Rami – 6.5 – Sliding
Made an excellent goal-saving block from Ibarbo early on, and produced a couple of strong sliding challenges. Picked up a yellow through cynicism, but the foul was needed. Also arguably at fault for Ibarbo’s goal.
Mattia De Sciglio – 6.5 – Adequate
Beat Ibarbo in a foot race when it looked likely that Cagliari would have a chance, but saw his attacking opportunities limited by good work.
Giacomo Bonaventura – 7 – Belter
Hit a stunning equaliser, sending a long-range shot across goal and into the top corner beautifully.
Nigel de Jong – 6.5 – Anchor
Tried his best to break up Cagliari attacks as they came, and did well to stifle midfield movements. He’s recently scored twice, and came within an inch away from a late, late winner with a great effort.
Sulley Muntari – 6 – Tackler
Came close to giving Milan the lead in the first half through a powerful strike, but saw it zip a yard wide of the upright.
Keisuke Honda – 7 – Spark
Grabbed an assist, although Bonaventura must take all of the credit. Otherwise looked sharp, drifting in from the right side to look to influence play down the middle of the pitch.
Fernando Torres – 4 – Dire
Was decent in making runs, but was really lacking when it came to his holdup play. He was unable to really bring others into the game. His general touch was dismal.
Stephan El Shaarawy – 6 – Restricted
Looked dangerous when coming into the box at speed but was restricted to charged down opportunities.
Substitutes
Jeremy Menez – 4 – Dropped
Was dropped in favour of Torres, and wasn’t to be Milan’s gamechanger.
Andrea Poli – 4.5 – Idea
Came on to provide some more creative ideas in midfield but was unable to carve out any opportunities.
Giampaolo Pazzini – N/A
