In the advance match that opens the 22nd matchday, the Granata were led to success by two goals from the Scot, one in each half. The Sardinians came from 7 points in the last three games
A brace from Adams and Toro beat Cagliari with a convincing performance. After four draws in a row, three of which were comebacks, the Granata finally found the victory (2-0) that had been missing at home since 25 October – 1-0 against Como – and confirmed their good form and tactical structure finally convincing. Cagliari, on the other hand, failed, coming off 7 points in 3 games but unable to be dangerous throughout the match. The Sardinians remain stuck in the big group around third to last place in the standings.
THE CHOICES
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In Turin Pedersen wins the run-off as right defender over Walukiewicz, while Tameze is confirmed as director alongside Ricci: the result is a 4-2-3-1 which confirms Vanoli’s choices of the last month, with Lazaro, Vlasic and Karamoh on the frontcourt behind Adams. With Luvumbo still unavailable due to a sprained ankle from a month ago, Nicola changes two players compared to the positive streak of the last three games: midfielder Adopo-Makoumbou on the bench, Deiola in to ban and Marin to create. The formation, however, remains the same, a 4-2-3-1 with Zortea, Gaetano and Felici behind Piccoli as the sole striker.
FIRST HALF
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Toro starts strong: in the 4th minute Karamoh goes down the left, aims for the goal and shoots at the far post, but Zappa deflects it and sends it into a corner. Two minutes later the splendid goal arrives from the right: Vlasic opens the field and frees Lazaro, from here to Ricci who reaches the back and crosses into the area for Adams, who controls and shoots under the crossbar, for the sixth goal of the season. Minutes followed without a master and without opportunities, with Cagliari struggling to find openings and Toro in control. In the 25th minute Tameze hits Caprile in the face, for a painful blow that keeps him on the ground for minutes but does not prevent him, in the 30th minute, from saving on Karamoh, after Maripan’s throw from his half of the pitch had opened a chasm between Luperto and Mina. Four minutes earlier it was Mina himself who had the first chance for the Sardinians, but his header from a free kick from the right by Marin had not worried Milinkovic-Savic. The last quarter of an hour still depends on Torino’s play, especially on the right. In the 41st minute Pedersen and Vlasic triangulate, who sends the right winger in front of Caprile, who does well to close the target. On the reversal, however, Piccoli extends the ball too much and wastes it. Finally, in the 44th minute, Karamoh runs away from Zappa on the left, converges and shoots at the far post, but finds a super Caprile.
Recovery
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The second half opens again with Toro ahead. In the 3rd minute, the Granata reached the net with Lazaro, after Karamoh’s low cross from the left and an error by Mina who was caught on the counter-time, but the goal was disallowed due to offside by Karamoh. In the 8th minute, great play by Vlasic on the right: cross and head by Tameze, Caprile rejects. In the 12th minute Cagliari changes face: Makoumbou comes on for Marin, Adopo for Deiola, Pavoletti for Gaetano and Augello for Obert. However, the music doesn’t change, on the contrary: in the 15th minute from a corner from the right Adams finds himself free at the far post, but hits it full on. The 2-0 arrives a minute later: play by Karamoh, who enters the area and shoots hitting the crossbar, but Adams gets the double on the rebound. Cagliari tries to react, in the 38th minute a header from Pavoletti ends up just wide, they try again at the end but with no luck.
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