Chievo beat Cagliari 1-0 in Serie A on Wednesday evening at the Stadio Bentegodi, leaving the Sardinians eight points adrift of safety.
Riccardo Meggiorini gave the Veronese side the lead midway through the first half and the the Flying Donkeys protected it fairly comfortably for the remainder of the game.
The Gialloblu took the lead in the 11th minute with a great effort that saw Meggiorini and Alberto Paloschi combine beautifully before the latter intelligently waited to give the ball back to Meggiorini who stroked the ball in low past Zeljko Brkic.
Cagliari looked to respond in the 19th minute when Jose Paul M’Poku drove into some space down the middle outside the area but his long-shot flew harmlessly off-target.
Paloschi almost when clean through on goal in the 21st minute after a poor first touch somehow skinned Modibo Diakite but his shot was blocked at the last moment.
The lively Paloschi audaciously attempted to double the Flying Donkey’s lead with a volley from distance in the 25th minute but it flew narrowly wide.
The Isolani pushed for an equaliser in the 35th minute when Duje Cop did well to get in front of his man and redirect a goal wards but the effort was too weak and central to really test Albano Bizzarri.
The Gialloblu had a chance to double their lead in the 42nd minute after Schelotto drove down the right wing and his cross found the head of Paloschi at the far post who headed over and the teams went into the break with Chievo a goal to the good.
Cagliari played in a high ball in the 54th minute which Bizzarri spilled but he was able to recover and claim it at the feet of the onrushing attackers.
The game then settled into a slow rhythm with little happening as the home side looked able to assert themselves and kill the game.
The Rossoblu pushed forwards in the 65th minute and Albin Ekdal set up Daniele Conti with a chipped ball over the top but the veteran midfielder couldn’t get it under control with Bizzarri bearing down on top of him.
Paloschi tapped the ball in the net in the 67th minute but it was ruled offside.
M’Poku found some space down the right with 10 minutes to go but his crosses were well cleared by the Chievo defence.
Cagliari’s frustration manifested itself in the 84th minute when Nicola Murru was sent off for a foul on Marian Izco that ended an attack.
The Sardinian side came extremely close to an equaliser in the 86th with a powerful drive across the face of goal from the substitute Diego Farias but the strike brushed the post on its way wide.
Cagliari received their second red card of the evening as Andrea Cossu picked up his second yellow card breaking up a counterattack.
The Flying Donkeys had a chance to wrap it up in injury time but Sergio Pellissier fired the ball straight at Brkic.
The visitors won corners late on but couldn’t find an equaliser and as a result sit eight points from safety.
