Cagliari ends their 2023 with a 0-0 home draw against Empoli which leaves a thousand regrets.
Ranieri and Andreazzoli rely on the 4-3-1-2, with the rossoblù fielding the Lapadula-Pavoletti pair up front, with Viola in support. In the middle, Deiola returns to the starting lineup, completing the midfield trio with Prati and Sulemana.
First half not exactly for refined palates, with many technical errors and very few opportunities. The most important in the 14th minute, when Caputo goes wide and puts it in the middle for Maldini jr, Azzi saves in the corner. For the rest, lots of long balls and idle goalkeepers. Cagliari shows up in the 37th minute, with Viola's corner and Prati's header placed at the near post and the ball hits the outside of the net. Everything else is boring.
The emotions all arrive in the second half, which begins with Luvumbo replacing the impalpable Lapadula. The first save of the match is by Caprile, on Pavoletti, after 11'. In the 20th minute, a free kick from Viola from the attacking midfield ends up directly in the net, but Maresca cancels it due to an alleged charge on the goalkeeper caught by VAR. In the 35th minute, another key episode: Maresca again points to the spot due to a Walukiewicz-Pavoletti contact. Viola goes to serve, but Caprile understands and saves. In the 44th minute Ranieri made a trio of substitutions, with Mancosu, Oristanio and Petagna replacing Viola, Sulemana and Pavoletti. And Petagna created the last great opportunity in the 50th minute, with a close-range left-footed shot miraculously saved again by Caprile. It ends after 9' of injury time, a 0-0 that cannot make anyone smile.
