Cagliari’s quest for mathematical safety in Serie A continues as Udinese clinched a vital 2-0 win on Saturday. Goals from Adam Buksa and Idrissa Gueye sealed the victory for the visitors in Sardinia.
Udinese emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline against Cagliari at the Unipol Domus. This win propels Udinese to within five points of seventh-placed Atalanta, who have a match against Milan the following day.
The first half saw Cagliari create the better opportunities. Maduka Okoye, the Udinese goalkeeper, made two crucial saves with his feet, denying Marco Palestra on a counter-attack and then stopping a close-range effort from Gianluca Gaetano.
Cagliari were initially awarded a penalty for a handball by Jesper Karlström. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned. The referee determined that Karlström had touched the ball in a “natural position” while attempting to avoid contact.
Udinese found their rhythm in the second half. Nicolò Zaniolo struck the woodwork with a shot from the edge of the box early in the period.
The Bianconeri took the lead shortly after. Hassane Kamara made a strong run down the left wing and delivered an accurate pass to Adam Buksa. The Polish striker found himself one-on-one with Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile and calmly slotted the ball into an open net for his fourth goal of the season.
Cagliari defender Alberto Dossena came close to equalizing from a corner, but Jesper Karlström was on hand to make a superb headed clearance off the goal line.
Moments later, Nicolò Bertola made an equally impressive block to deny Paul Mendy’s shot from outside the penalty area.
As Cagliari pushed for an equalizer, they left spaces at the back, which Udinese looked to exploit on the counter-attack.
Keinan Davis missed a significant chance when through on goal against Caprile. However, the former Aston Villa forward, who had recently returned from injury, later provided the assist for Idrissa Gueye. Gueye sealed the victory in stoppage time, finishing off a perfectly executed counter-attack.
Tensions flared in the closing minutes, with brief altercations between players from both teams occurring after the final whistle. Udinese’s Keinan Davis was notably upset and had to be restrained by his teammates.
Cagliari remain in 15th position in the league standings. They are currently eight points clear of 18th-placed Cremonese, meaning they will secure their survival if Cremonese fail to win against Pisa on Sunday.