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Attendance: 16,233
Cagliari logo
Serie A
Jan 6, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Juventus logo

0-1

FT(HT: 0-0)

Federico Bernardeschi rescues win for Juventus

Bernardeschi rescues win for Juventus
© SilverHub
Champions Juventus move back to within one point of Serie A leaders Napoli courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Cagliari at the Sardegna Arena.

Juventus have closed the gap at the top of the Serie A table back to one point courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Cagliari at the Sardegna Arena this evening.

It looked as though the defending champions might fall further off the pace having failed to open the scoring despite numerous chances in the first half, but Federico Bernardeschi's goal 15 minutes from time proved to be enough.

The Old Lady have now won their last six matches across all competitions to move back to within a point of Napoli, who beat Hellas Verona earlier in the day to temporarily extend their lead.

Juve would have been forgiven for thinking that it might not be their day when they were denied by the woodwork twice inside the opening 20 minutes, the first of which saw Paulo Dybala's free kick crash against the crossbar.

Bernardeschi was the next to hit the frame of the goal when he cut inside and unleashed a fine strike from the right channel which beat the keeper but came back off the post.

The visitors did finally have the ball in the back of the net midway through the first half, but this time it was the offside flag which denied them the opening goal as Mehdi Benatia's header was quickly ruled out.

Having been hanging on for much of the match up to that stage, Cagliari fired a warning shot of their own to Juventus shortly before the half-hour mark when Leonardo Pavoletti rose highest inside the area but could only nod his header off target.

Juventus then had the woodwork to thank themselves right on the stroke of half time as the hosts continued to grow into the game, with Diego Farias's strike coming off the post after he had found space to shoot from inside the area.

Massimiliano Allegri's side did not find chances as easy to come by in the opening stage of the second half, and it wasn't until the hour mark that they really threatened again, with Miralem Pjanic firing a dangerous strike narrowly wide of the target from outside the area.

Juve had already lost Dybala to a hamstring injury by that point, but his replacement Douglas Costa proved instrumental when the defending champions did finally take the lead with 15 minutes remaining, delivering a wicked low cross into the box which Bernardeschi finished off from close range.

Cagliari refused to give up in the closing stages and were given an extra glimmer of hope when six minutes of injury time were indicated, but there was ultimately no way back as they remain only five points clear of the relegation zone.

Juventus, on the other hand, are now unbeaten in their last 11 outings across all competitions - including seven in Serie A to stretch their lead over third-placed Inter Milan to eight points ahead of the winter break.

CAGLIARI (3-5-1-1): Rafael; Romagna, Ceppitelli, Pisacane (Giannetti, 88'); Farago, Barella (Van der Wiel, 86'), Cigarini, Ionita (Sau, 69'), Padoin; Farias; Pavoletti

JUVENTUS (4-3-2-1): Szczesny; Barzagli, Benatia, Chiellini, Sandro; Khedira (Mandzukic, 60'), Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi (Lichtsteiner, 79'), Dybala (Costa, 50'); Higuain

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Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri during the Serie A match against Roma on May 14, 2017
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CInter Milan36295286196792
2AC Milan36228672432974
3Bologna361813551272467
4Juventus361813549282167
5Atalanta BCAtalanta351961065392663
6Roma361791063441960
7Lazio361851347371059
8Napoli361312115346751
9Fiorentina341481251391250
10Torino361214103332150
11Genoa361113124344-146
12Monza351112123846-845
13Lecce35813143250-1837
14Hellas VeronaHellas Verona36810183448-1434
15CagliariCagliari36712173865-2733
16FrosinoneFrosinone36711184368-2532
17Empoli3688202652-2632
18Udinese35418133352-1930
19SassuoloSassuolo3678214272-3029
RSalernitana36210242876-4816


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