Cagliari-Juventus 1-0 on the pitch for the sixth matchday of Serie A
GOAL
CAGLIARI-Juventus 1-0. Maldini's goal. Cagliari's quick restart, Maldini starts at speed, enters the area, a series of rebounds favors Mendy who controls and serves his teammate, who controls and beats Vicario with his left foot.
THE RANKING
RESULTS AND PROGRAM
THE LIVE
THE EVE
It is not yet clear what Juventus' true level is: there are those who think they can compete for the scudetto and others who instead see them among the top four at best. And for Spalletti? "We don't give a damn about what they say - the Juventus coach's response to the opinions circulating among experts - Juve is always condemned to win: we are the ones who want to raise the bar in our sights and we must stay in the group of teams that must do well, we have strong ambitions and we know we are living this moment of life, we don't let anyone point it out to us."
After the long break for the national teams, an intense tour de force of nine matches in 28 days will now arrive: "On the one hand there is the accumulation of fatigue and on the other the accumulation of rest, there is no other medicine - explains Spalletti - and during the break we gave long rests to restore some things that happen in close matches". The first of these matches will be in Cagliari, his Juve fell to Sardinia last January: "Giulini and Pisacane deserve the points they have, not the victory they achieved against us - he says on the revelation of the championship at 12 points and that last season they won 1-0 with just one shot on goal - and it will be a difficult match: they have players who cancel out your re-aggression and this year Maldini is coming to the fore, we will have to be alive and intense because he leaves them space, they know how behave."
Spalletti always awaits the first bells from Kolo Muani in the league: "We want to leave him free in his way of acting, we encourage him to have different behaviors in the role of first striker - the recipe for unblocking the Frenchman from his lack of goals - he has ease of running and is good with his head, as well as in acrobatics and in turning around: we appreciate him a lot, we need him to move more". Nico Gonzalez's contract renewal until 2030 has arrived in the last few hours. "He shows that he is intense in everything he does and has the look of determined people who don't let their future be determined by others" compliments for the Argentine, and in Cagliari we could see Zhegrova who will not be able to play on Thursday against Celta Vigo because he was cut from the UEFA list: "He is one of those who has changed his shirt in recent training sessions, partly among the starters and partly among the non-starters owners". However, Neto's new debut for Juventus will have to wait: the goalkeeper will not be able to be called up because he has to serve the one-match suspension he received in his last appearance with Botafogo.
Three-week break, but Fabio Pisacane, coach of Cagliari's surprise in the championship, asks his team to start again from the enthusiasm and dedication, words of the coach in the press conference on the eve of the first five matchdays. The right spirit: the one that, with four victories in five matches, brought the rossoblù to fourth place, two points ahead of tomorrow night's opponent, Juventus. "But it is a match between two teams with different objectives - said the Cagliari coach in the press conference - we play to save ourselves, they play for the scudetto. However, our hunger must always remain the same". Pisacane will also be able to count on Deiola and Kevin Carlos. A record recovery for the captain: twelve days ago he was under the knife for knee surgery, now in theory he could also be deployed in the starting lineup.
Pisacane, to stop Juventus' desire to overtake, starts again from the best defense in the championship: just two goals conceded by Caprile. The coach invites the team to look for and exploit the weaknesses of the Bianconeri. "It's difficult to find them but we have to make life difficult for a team that comes here to take full plunder: we play at home and we have to win the affection of the fans with sacrifice." Pisacane is ready to field the typical formation. Deiola could start from the bench, Mina will be at the center of defense. In front of the rearguard the Winks-Romano tandem. With the blue player who, thanks to the Englishman's coverage, will be able to risk something more in the offensive phase compared to the pure playmaker position seen in the national team. "For me he can also play as a central defender. He has already done it with us for example with Inter." Mendy should be confirmed up front, as the first striker called to open spaces for Maldini, the other blue-rossoblù, striker of the team with three goals. But watch out for Nzola, who scored against Rayo Vallecano in a friendly. Even if Pisacane did not go too far: "I hope that Madrid's goal is the first of a long series. He can play from the first minute - he concluded - but also enter the race. Or not play at all".
