Cagliari returns to Serie A! A goal by Pavoletti in the 94th minute clears Bari and brings the rossoblù back to the top division.
After training in the morning, Ranieri decides to leave out Mancosu (on the bench) and Nandez (out with a left thigh injury), betting on a 4-4-2 where the Dossena-Obert duo is back in the heart of the defense and the Lella outside midfield from Bari. Cagliari immediately took possession of the game and, after 8', sent shivers to the 60,000 San Nicola crowd with Dossena's header deflected by Caprile onto Deiola's feet, who grazed the post from a tight angle. On 20' Luvumbo's cue and conclusion from the edge again defused by the Bari goalkeeper. The landlords can only be seen with a Cheddira-Benedetti duet that doesn't create problems for Radunovic. Cagliari is much more dangerous. In the 28th minute Luvumbo and Maita cross, to anticipate Di Pardo, splinter the crossbar of his goal. On the following corner, Caprile again intervenes on Deiola's header. But the miracle was the goalkeeper in the 38th minute, when with his fingertips he saved Di Pardo's sure-footed header. It is the last emotion of the first half which ends without recovery on 0-0.
The second half begins with a flicker from the new entrant Ricci, whose shot ends on the outside of the net. There's more balance, with Bari trying to raise the center of gravity and above all tension. Cagliari tries with Makoumbou from distance, yet Caprile is saved. Ranieri throws in Mancosu and Prelec, but in the 30th minute it's still Dossena and the most dangerous rossoblù, but the Bari goalkeeper dives into it. In the final, Barreca and Viola also came in, but it was the hosts who came close to scoring with a diagonal from Folorunsho that hit the inside post. It was also Pavoletti's turn and the captain, in the 49th minute, came out on a cross from Zappa and scored. The last few minutes are very tense, Radunovic misses an exit but Obert saves from Folorunsho's attempt. It ended like this, with Ranieri's tears of joy and the rossoblùs and the desperation of the people of Bari. Cagliari is in Serie A!
