End-to-end stuff in an entertaining first half at the Sardegna Arena, but it remains goalless between Cagliari and Sassuolo.
Cagliari coach Eusebio Di Francesco welcomed his previous team Sassuolo to Sardinia, and the guests started with the majority of possession as the sun popped out when the referee blew his whistle to kick off the game at the Sardegna Arena.
On the heavy turf in Cagliari, the home side were created the biggest chances and looked more compacted than in previous games.
End-to-end stuff in an entertaining first half at the Sardegna Arena, but it remains goalless between Cagliari and Sassuolo.
Cagliari coach Eusebio Di Francesco welcomed his previous team Sassuolo to Sardinia, and the guests started with the majority of possession as the sun popped out when the referee blew his whistle to kick off the game at the Sardegna Arena.
On the heavy turf in Cagliari, the home side were created the biggest chances and looked more compacted than in previous games.
Giovanni Simeone first went down after five minutes in a battle with Consigli, but the referee waved for a corner kick and the Argentine striker didn’t really appeal for a penalty.
Cagliari continued to break Sassuolo’s possession play and Razvan Marin was suddenly through on goal after having combined nicely at left with Joao Pedro.
The Romanian had a goal disallowed after nine minutes, as Joao Pedro’s shot was deflected into his path and the 24-year-old rounded the goalkeeper and buried it. But he received the ball in an offside position.
Sassuolo responded with a header from Manuel Locatelli, looping over Alessio Cragno, who was fully stretched when he pushed it over the bar.
Both teams were going for it and Sassuolo faced a compact Cagliari in Sardinia, and the home side continued to create chances.
Simeone tried from long range but his effort was deflected to a corner kick, where Lykogiannis arose for a big header, that was cleared off the line by Filip Djuricic.
At the other end, the Serbian was through on goal when Sassuolo found the Rossoblu out of balance after 27 minutes.
He did ever so well to bring down a ball over the top, but one-on-one with Cragno, he pushed it wide off the target.
Sassuolo applied more and more pressure on the hosts for the latter stages of the match, but Diego Godin was influential at the back for the Rossoblu and blocked most attempts.
Djuricic was inches away from giving the Neroverdi the lead after 34 minutes, as he went up more or less unmarked as a cross was deflected to him. His header should have been better though and Cragno was alert, pushing the effort away for a corner.
Cagliari responded by going straight up the pitch, as both sides were dangerous going forward in the first half.
Radja Nainggolan tried from afar and his shot was deflected on the way to the target. Consigli was left frozen as the ball hit the upright. Off the post and out.
Godin then went up to meet a free kick with a free header, but he couldn’t generate enough power to make it count.
Sassuolo had a few more efforts blocked at the edge of the area and Cagliari grabbed every opportunity to burst forward in an entertaining match.
Cagliari 0-0 Sassuolo (half-time)
Cagliari:Cragno; Zappa, Godin, Ceppitelli, Lykogiannis; Deiola, Oliva; Marin, Nainggolan, Joao Pedro; Simeone
Sassuolo:Consigli; Muldur, Marlon, Ferrari, Rogerio; Obiang, Locatelli; Traore, Djuricic, Boga; Caputo