Cagliari defeated Genoa 2-1 in an entertaining affair at the Stadio Sant’Elia on Sunday afternoon.
Alberto Gilardino gave the away side the early lead before Thomas Manfredini’s unlucky sending off before half-time. However Marco Sau’s second half brace, the winner coming in injury time, was enough to lift the Isolani to the three points.
The first chance fell to the home side in the 10th minute when Radja Nainggolan’s cross found the far post. Daniele Dessena got on the end of the cross but his effort was blocked by Daniele Portanova.
However it was the Grifone who opened the scoring in the 16th minute thanks to Gilardino. Francesco Lodi’s through ball cut through the Sardinian defence before the Italian striker deposited his close range effort past Vlada Avramov to make it 1-0 for the away side.
Marco Sau tried to slip through in the 28th minute but the Italian saw his progression cut off by an alert Mattia Perin.
Gilardino was once again the danger man for Genoa in the 29th minute as he found space amongst the Cagliari defence before sending his effort over the bar.
There was controversy in the 43rd minute when Thomas Manfredini and Daniele Conti were each booked for a penalty area tussle. The caution was Manfredini’s second of the match meaning he was sent off, though replays show he did little to deserve his marching orders as it was in fact Conti who was tugging on him.
The home side ramped up their pressure to start the second half as Mauricio Pinilla’s header was stopped by Perin.
Less than a minute later Perin was once again called into action as he made a spectacular fingertip save to deny Daniele Conti’s overhead kick.
The young Italian was forced into another save in the 70th minute as he did well to parry Agim Ibraimi’s long range effort out for a corner kick.
Genoa nearly hit on the counter in the 73rd minute when Luca Antonelli found space behind the Isolani defence but Avramov stood his ground and prevented the Italian from making it 2-0.
However Cagliari finally found an equalizer after 75 minutes when Sau controlled a long ball over the top and found space on the left before cutting in, dribbling past two defenders and unleashing an unstoppable shot past Perin to level the score at 1-1.
The home side continued in search of a winner and were rewarded in the 92nd minute when Nene’s failed scissor kick fell to Sau in the penalty area and the number nine fired home to give the home side the 2-1 lead.
Genoa were obviously disappointed by the late goal as a scuffle broke out after the final whistle but it mattered little as the Isolani took home the three points.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
