Cagliari hoodoo continues: Quagliarella double cancelled out by Farias and Pavoletti
We’ll have to wait another season at least to end our 10-year search for a win on Cagliari soil after Sampdoria surrendered a two-goal lead and ultimately had to share the spoils at Sardegna Arena on Saturday evening.
Fabio Quagliarella struck twice inside the opening 20 minutes – Gaston Ramirez the provider both times – before the hosts rallied after the break and got themselves back on level terms with two goals in four minutes.
The home side shot out the blocks and after just 17 seconds Emiliano Viviano had to make his first save from Joao Pedro following Leonardo Pavoletti’s knockdown.
Having already lost Rafael during the warm-up – Alessio Cragno started in his place between the sticks – Diego Lopez was forced to make an early substitution on four minutes as Luca Ceppitelli went off injured, with Fabio Pisacane slotting into the backline.
It didn’t alter the flow of the game as Cagliari remained on the front foot in the opening minutes. Viviano was again called into action to deny Pavoletti before Bartosz Bereszynski cleared Daniele Dessena’s effort off the line – although Pavoletti was offside.
Quagliarella was onside in the 12th minute as he latched onto the end of Ramirez’s looping pass into the area and poked past Cragno to hand us the lead.
Notching his eighth goal of the season wasn’t enough for our captain and seven minutes later he made it nine. Ramirez teed him up with a backheel inside the box and Quagliarella made no mistake with a calm finish into the bottom corner.
Doria were all over the hosts at this point and could have added a third when Lucas Torreira broke through into the box, only for Cragno to thwart him when he looked set to score.
Cagliari’s injury misfortune continued and Lopez was forced to use up all his substitutions before the interval as Paolo Farago and Dessena went off, replaced by Greogry van der Wiel (34) and Diego Farias (40), respectively.
There were two great opportunities chances at either end before the stroke of half time: Cragno kept the home side in the game when he produced a fabulous full-stretch save to push Ramirez’s explosive drive over the bar before Artur Ionita nodded fractionally over from Simone Padoin’s delivery.
Having suffered one misfortune after another in the first half, the Sardinians got a slice of luck 10 minutes after the restart when Viviano’s attempted clearance struck Farias and ended up in the back of the net.
The goal sparked the hosts into life and they poured forward seeking a second. Just two minutes later Viviano got down incredibly well to divert Pavoletti’s header around the post, yet sadly it proved to be only a brief respite.
Another two minutes passed and Pavoletti had another chance from a header – this time he made no mistake. After a dominant first-half display, Samp suddenly found themselves on the back foot and clinging on.
Cagliari pressed forward and Farias flashed a low drive just wide in the 65th minute.
Giampaolo responded by bringing on Gianluca Caprari for Ramirez, thus making a clear statement of intent – the game was still there to be won.
The substitute’s first chance came when he collected the ball on the edge of the box and shot on the turn – high and over unfortunately.
He was presented with another opportunity to snatch a winner with five minutes remaining but Cragno denied him, while Farias then wasted a good chance down the other end.
Dawid Kownacki came on for the last few minutes as Samp laid siege on the Cagliari goal. Quagliarella almost completed his hat-trick but it wasn’t to be.
It ended honours even and the focus now turns to the Coppa Italia: a trip to Fiorentina awaits the Blucerchiati on Wednesday.
Cagliari 2-2 Sampdoria (HT: 0-2)
Scorers: Quagliarella 12, 19, Farias 56, Pavoletti 60.
Cagliari (3-5-2): Cragno; Romagna, Andreolli, Ceppitelli (Pisacane 4); Farago (Van der Wiel 34), Dessena (Farias 40), Cigarini, Ionita, Padoin; Pavoletti, Joao Pedro.
Subs not used: Daga, Cossu, Giannetti, Miangue, Capuano, Sau, Deiola, Melchiorri.
Coach: Lopez.
Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Viviano; Bereszynski, Silvestre, Ferrari, Murru; Barreto, Torreira, Praet; Ramírez (Caprari 70); Quagliarella, Zapata (Kownacki 89).
Subs not used: Puggioni, Tozzo, Andersen, Sala, Djuricic, Alvarez, Strinic, Regini, Verre, Capezzi.
Coach: Giampaolo.
Referee: Pasqua (Tivoli).
Assistants: La Rocca (Ercolano), Villa (Rimini).
Fourth official: La Penna (Roma 1).
VAR: Pairetto (Nichelino).
VAR assistant: Preti (Mantova).
Booked: Ionita 28, Farias 67.
Added time: 3+2 minutes.
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