A late Dusan Vlahovic strike led Juventus to a 1-2 victory over Cagliari in a wildly entertaining match.
Juventus dominated possession for the majority of the match, sparking plenty of chances in the attacking third. Led by creativity from Dybala and Juan Cuadrado, there was ample time and space in the box, but the visitors were unable to capitalize on many opportunities. On the other side, Cagliari struggled to find shooting lanes, taking just one shot in the first 80 minutes.
Walter Mazzarri ran out his usual starting eleven, with captain Joao Pedro and Leonardo Pavoletti at striker. Dalbert, Alessandro Deiola and Razvan Marin supported the duo in the midfield, and Matteo Lovato anchored the backline.
Vlahovic and Dybala led Juventus’ lineup from the top of the formation. After an intense match with Inter, several starters remained on the bench, including Manuel Locatelli and Alvaro Morata.
The First Half
Juventus began the match with overwhelming possession, not allowing Cagliari time on the ball. Initially, the Old Lady looked to keep the ball wide and find Vlahovic in the box with a well-placed through-ball, but the Isolani backline held strong.
Just ten minutes into the match, Joao Pedro and Razvan Marin combined to put the hosts in front. The midfielder dispossessed Dybala, sparking a sudden counter. He found Pedro open at the top of the box, and the captain curled the ball into the side netting to take the lead.
Later, Danilo nearly leveled the score when he fired a ball toward the face of the goal. Denis Zakaria managed to deflect the oncoming shot, but Alessio Cragno made a clutch diving save.
Juventus continued to press, and Luca Pellegrini seemingly equalized with a fine strike. However, it was determined that the ball struck the arm of Adrien Rabiot, and the goal was wiped off.
With the half almost over, Vlahovic played Rabiot into space in the box. The French midfielder had a tight angle, and he sent the ball over the net, spoiling a prime opportunity.
The Bianconeri finally scored on the stroke of halftime. Juan Cuadrado whipped in a short, chipped cross, and Mathijs de Ligt made no mistake with a close-range header.
The Second Half
After the break, Juventus returned to the pitch with vigor. The level of play did not drop, as the visitors had a goal called back for offsides and a missed point-blank chance within the first three minutes.
When Dalbert picked up a knock after 15 minutes, Marko Rog replaced him in the midfield. The Croatian’s return is a promising sign for Cagliari, as he has missed much of the last two seasons with an ACL injury.
Just when it seemed that Cragno would not be beaten, Vlahovic sprang into action. In the 75th minute, a world-class through-ball from Dybala somehow found the striker, who was tightly marked by Lovato and Giorgio Altare. With Cragno rushing out, the Serbian toe-poked the ball into the corner of the net, giving Juventus the lead and all three points.