Cagliari overcame a two goal deficit at half time to fight back and claim a point against third placed Sampdoria in Serie A action on Sunday.
Strikes from Manolo Gabbiadini and Pedro Obiang had the Genoa outfit looking good but Fabrizio Cacciatore’s red card helped Danilo Avelar pull one back from the penalty spot before Marco Sau rattled in a late equaliser.
Did we get our ratings right? Have your say in the comments below.
Cagliari
Alessio Cragno- 6 – Dependable
Was fairly steady throughout the match and cannot be held accountable for either of Sampdoria’s goals.
Francesco Pisano -5 – Shaky
Lost Gabbiadini for the first goal and squandered possession once or twice. Never looked entirely comfortable when Sampdoria came forward and applied the pressure.
Simone Benedetti -6 – Solid
Perhaps has yet to fully gel with Capuano in the heart of Cagliari’s defence but made a vital stop to deny Obiang scoring which ultimately helped his team secure a draw.
Marco Capuano -6 – Strong
Struggled at times with the Sampdoria onslaught in the first half but grew into the game more in the second period and looked a far more secure defender.
Danilo Fernando Avelar -8- Excellent
Cagliari’s stand-out performance. Scored the penalty to get his side back in the game and created the second for Sau. Contributions were decisive. In addition, his attacking intent was refreshing and he constantly caused problems with his pace and running.
Daniele Dessena-5- Slow
Looked off the pace and struggled to keep up with the tempo. At times, was overran in midfield and was replaced in the second half.
Lorenzo Crisetig -5 – Disappointing
Failed to restore Zeman’s faith in him. Never really influenced the match prominently and disappeared at times.
Albin Ekdal -5.5 – Weak
Very much similar to Crisetig, failed to cement an impact on the match despite a constant willingness to show for possession.
Victor Ibarbo – 6 – Average
Took a while to get into the game but won the penalty that brought the score back to 2-1. Needs to be more aggressive and decisive in his play.
Andrea Cossu – 5.5 – Unimaginative
Failed to have an end product for much of the match and looked bereft of ideas at other times. Needs to show more heart considering Cagliari’s position in the table.
Marco Sau -7 – Saviour
Rescued a vital point for his team in the second half. He consistently looked the most threatening of all Cagliari’s attacking players.
Substitutes
Godfred Donsah – 6
Looked stronger than Dessena when he came on. Was brighter and played some nice passes.
Caio Rangel -6
Also looked lively after his introduction. Looks a player with great technique and may be used more as the season goes on.
Samuele Longo- N/A
Sampdoria
Emiliano Viviano -6 – Unfortunate
Started the game well but was injured after 20 minutes and was replaced by Romero.
Lorenzo De Silvestri -6 – Confident
Closed down the ball very well and quelled some Cagliari attacks. Is a confident all-round defender and showed it once again.
Daniele Gastaldello -6 – Rock
Looked very assured all day and was not at fault of either goal. Was vital to the organisation of Sampdoria’s back-line.
Matias Silvestre -5.5 – Inconsistent
Fluttering performance and failed to live up to recent performances.
Fabrizio Cacciatore -5 – Rash
Struggled with Ibarbo all day and two yellow cards sent him for an early shower. His red card paved the way for Cagliari’s comeback.
Angelo Palombo -6 -Tactical
Very disciplined performance, tactically astute and clever.
Alfred Duncan -5.5 – Okay
Was booked and sometimes looked over-exuberant which may have led to a red card. Caught in possession more than once.
Pedro Mba Obiang -7 – Quality
Sampdoria’s star performer, scored a wonderful long-range goal. Showed physicality and quality all day.
Manolo Gabbiadini -7 – Clinical
Scored and l0oked lively for most of the match. Showed once again that he is a rising star in Italian football.
Citadin Martins Eder -6 – Inferior
Failed to find much of an end product coming from the left. Was substituted in the second period.
Stefano Okaka -6.5 – Dangerous
Always looked a threat with his presence and pace. Just needs to find more goals but looked confident throughout proceedings.
Substitutes
Sergio Romero -6 – Adequate
Did well after replacing Viviano. Looks to be a good keeper to call upon when needed.
Djamel Mesbah -5.5 – Lacked influence
Did not influence the game enough after his introduction.
Alessio Romagnoli- N/A