06 April 2022
Among the many matches in which Cagliari have welcomed Juventus, the game pictured in the background is held dearest by the Bianconeri faithful. It was the evening of the first of the nine-in-a-row title triumphs. Oddly, because their stadium was being refurbished, Cagliari hosted the home match in Trieste, a port town situated 1000 km north east of the Sardinian capital. It was there that Juventus won 2-0 to clinch the scudetto, and the first of those two goals was scored by Mirko Vucinic.
CR7'S BLACK & WHITE HAT-TRICKS
The most recent Cagliari-Juventus saw Cristiano Ronaldo fulfil his top billing as the match’s stand-out entertainer. The Portuguese superstar bagged a hat-trick against the Islanders, one of only two during his spell at Juve. Coincidentally, the first victims of a CR7 tripletta were the same Rossoblu, at the Allianz Stadium the season before.
MOISE CLOSES THE DEAL
2 April 2019 - the last Cagliari-Juventus played in Massimiliano Allegri’s first stint on the Bianconeri bench. At a ground he is proud to have once called home, Allegri left with a smile on his face thanks to a goal in each half. The opener was netted by Leonardo Bonucci, while the goal that put the match beyond doubt was struck by Moise Kean with five minutes remaining. The striker made it third time lucky after home keeper Alessio Cragno had produced two memorable saves to deny the teenage talent.
FLASH FEEDS FEDE
Cagliari-Juventus in season 2017-18 was the opening game of the second half of the season. The Lady emerged victorious with the slenderest of margins, and did so thanks to the individual enterprise of Douglas Costa, who set up Federico Bernardeschi for the simplest of tap-ins.
BRACE YOUSELF FOR PIPITA
The Cagliari-Juventus showdown of 2016-17 confirmed Gonzalo Higuain's moment of grace - able to punish opponents at will. In the previous match, at Crotone, he finished off an assist from Tomas Rincon. In Sardinia he struck twice thanks to the promptings of Claudio Marchisio and Paulo Dybala. Bearing in on goal, Gonzalo was cold and precise, demonstrating a great number 9 in his prime.
FUMBLING FINALE
In 1971-72 Cagliari-Juventus produced one of the most incredible finales seen on a football field. At 1-0 for the hosts, scudetto winners two seasons before in season 1969-70, with five minutes to play, both goalkeepers played decisive roles with amazing howlers for the 2-1 final scoreline.
First home goalkeeper Enrico Albertosi - in the photo hidden by the post as he challenges Fabio Capello - punched the ball onto his own crossbar from the six-yard line, allowing Roberto Bettega to race in and net the equaliser from close range.
With only seconds on the clock, Juventus keeper Pietro Carmignani then got in on the act as he fumbled a long-ball played deep into the Bianconeri area. Taking advantage of the keeper’s butter-fingers was Sergio ‘Bobo’ Gori, a future Juventus player, who slid home the winner from little more than a metre from the unguarded goal.
