FOLLOW THE LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SECOND HALF OF CAGLIARI-TORINO HERE
informatore.unionesarda.it/cronaca-live/calcio/Cagliari-Torino/471443A goal from Mina in first-half stoppage time gave Cagliari a crucial halftime lead: 2-1 over Torino. In the other two games played simultaneously, Sassuolo 1-2 Lecce and Udinese 0-1 Cremonese.
Yerry Mina, who had to miss the match against Udinese due to an injury in the warm-up, was back in the 3-5-2. Before the teams entered, a tribute was paid to Leonardo Pavoletti , who was playing his last match at Unipol Domus (but was unavailable). In the stands, a tribute was also paid to Carlo Cogliolo, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 91: he was one of the entrepreneurs who saved the club from bankruptcy in 1986.
Cagliari made a positive move in the 10th minute, first with a nice dribble into the box by Esposito, whose diagonal shot was parried by Ebosse, then with a cross from the left that Mendy almost missed, but Ebosse himself almost converted the score to 1-0 with a fortuitous deflection that went just wide. Palestra came back on his left foot in the 20th minute, with a low shot that Paleari saved .
On the half-hour mark, Simeone linked up with Vlašić, who played the ball back to him in the box on the left: his first-time shot hit the side-netting. Cagliari were in for a scare, as Torino picked up pace after half-time. Simeone again, in the 32nd minute, deflected a central ball that went over. And in the 35th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Dossena, he entered the box with Mina closing him down: the ball passed past Caprile, and Obert was decisive in denying Zapata with an empty net .
Torino capitalized on their superiority in the 38th minute: a well-taken corner passed by former player Prati to Obrador, who from about thirty meters had plenty of time to control the ball, look at the goal, and unleash a splendid left-footed shot that was unstoppable for Caprile . It was a stunning goal, but Cagliari were left standing idly by.
But the Rossoblù didn't give up, and within a minute they had already equalized: Gaetano passed Esposito on the edge of the penalty area, and the number 94 turned and beat Paleari on his left with an angled right-footed shot . It was an immediate equalizer and a liberating goal after a difficult period of play.
The numerous interruptions resulted in "only" two minutes of injury time. But on the very last ball released by Zappa in the box, Paleari's shot was parried, and Mina, with a backhand, slotted it in from two steps away . Cagliari were ahead at the break.