Esposito returns to scoring after more than nine months, but fails to bring Cagliari points: this time, there is no comeback for the rossoblù, with Sassuolo winning 1-2 at Unipol Domus.
Just before kickoff ( during the pre-match tribute, Cagliari's longtime kitman Piero Massa, who is retiring and playing his last game today, was honored ), it began to rain at Unipol Domus. The first quarter of an hour was subdued, with Idrissi failing to capitalize on a good opening on the left in the 7th minute and misfiring a cross into the center, an easy target for Murić. As the rain turned into a veritable deluge, in the 22nd minute, Palestra exchanged passes with Borrelli and fired a left-footed shot from the edge of the box. Candé blocked the move, calling for a handball, but it was no match.
Cagliari's goal was disallowed in the 28th minute: Palestra's cross was flicked on by Borrelli at the far post for Esposito to run in, but Esposito was found offside and the assistant denied . Three minutes later, Volpato had a go from the edge of the box, but his left-footed shot flew well over. Sassuolo, after racking up a series of corners, found Thorstvedt in the 42nd minute, but Caprile dived and saved his left-footed effort. In the 44th minute, he made a formidable save to deny Volpato with his foot. The half-time break followed two minutes of added time.
The second half resumed without the rain of the first half. But in the 54th minute, Sassuolo took the lead: from a contested free kick (Obert fouled Pinamonti) , Laurienté fired a stunning curling shot from just over 20 meters off the right, skipping over the wall and leaving Caprile motionless for a 0-1 lead . Cagliari responded with Zappa hitting the crossbar three minutes later, after Esposito recovered the ball on the edge of the box, having played it to his nearby teammate for a curling right-footer. On the hour mark, Zappa played it to Borrelli, who deflected it off Idzes and it landed a corner.
Pisacane made his first substitutions in the 62nd minute: Gaetano for Folorunsho, Felici for Zappa, with the captain (Caprile) and the formation (4-4-2) being changed. But immediately after, in the 65th minute, Sassuolo doubled their lead when Volpato set up Pinamonti on the right to dribble past Prati and fire home at the near post. The Rossoblu protested for a slap on Idrissi early in the move, but the check validated the move . Adopo performed poorly in the situation, failing to control a ball handled by Obert who was coming out to initiate the move (which then continued with a fortunate rebound).
Cagliari seemed to be in a tailspin, just like they did in Verona after going 2-0 up, but in the 73rd minute they got back into the game. Felici broke away down the right and crossed to the near post, where Esposito did well to beat Idzes and beat Murić: it was his first goal for the Rossoblu, his first since January 19th . Pavoletti then came in for Borrelli for the final 15 minutes. At the other end, Sassuolo hit the post with a right-footed shot from a tight angle from Volpato.
Luvumbo and Mazzitelli replaced Esposito and Adopo for the final six minutes. The Angolan, in the 87th minute, failed to reach the far post after Felici's cross from the left. The six minutes of injury time, extended to eight due to Sassuolo's significant and obvious time-wasting, allowed by the incompetent referee Pairetto, produced no further opportunities.
