Cagliari hold Juventus to a draw as late equaliser sparks touchline flashpoint

Cagliari are fourth after holding Juventus to a 1-1 draw, a result that left both coaches sent off after a tense exchange at the final whistle. Fabio Pisacane’s side led for most of the match, but Randal Kolo Muani’s goal with 10 minutes remaining rescued a point for Juventus.

Daniel Maldini opened the scoring in the 20th minute. The goal was his fourth in a row, and each of those strikes had proved decisive: his first three brought Cagliari victories, while this one put them in front against Luciano Spalletti’s team.

Juventus spent much of the contest chasing the game before Kolo Muani levelled. Pisacane did not argue that his side had been denied a win. Speaking to DAZN, he said Juventus had deserved the equaliser and could have gone on to win the match.

The result leaves Cagliari behind only Inter, Lazio and Roma. Juventus are sixth, level with Como and one point behind fifth-placed AC Milan, who have 12 points from six games. For Cagliari, that position gives added weight to a draw against a team chasing different targets; for Juventus, the late goal avoided defeat but did not move them into the top five.

The final whistle brought another flashpoint. Pisacane and Spalletti were sent off after their confrontation, but Pisacane said the exchange might have ended differently. “Dispiace, perché poteva finire tutto con un abbraccio,” he told DAZN — “It’s a shame, because it could all have ended with a hug.” He added that Spalletti had seemed worried since the previous day.

Pisacane said that if Juventus were worried about not winning at Cagliari on matchday six, it showed his team were “on the right track”. He also framed his players’ disappointment at surrendering the lead as a positive sign: “If my lads are disappointed, it means we are an ambitious team.” Cagliari leave with a point and a clear measure of how far their performances have taken them; Juventus leave knowing a late equaliser was needed to prevent a loss.