Cagliari and Verona share the spoils in crucial clash at the bottom of Serie A
In a match that was bound to have huge implications for the relegation battle, regardless of the result, it was the visitors who drew first blood.
Having been on the backfoot throughout the first half, Verona found a breakthrough via Federico Bonazzoli on the half-hour mark, with the striker sweeping home Tijjani Noslin’s whipped cross. The tiniest of touches was enough to guide the ball beyond Cagliari goalkeeper Simone Scuffet, who didn’t get close to the Bonazzoli strike.
It looked like Verona had doubled their advantage in almost identical fashion early on in the second half, when Darko Lazović’s delicate flick once again beat the efforts of Scuffet.
Ondrej Duda had been the player that provided the cross this time, but a brief moment of hesitancy meant his pass came a fraction too late for Lazović, who had strayed offside in the build-up.
The VAR decision proved costly for Verona, with the hosts striking back 15 minutes from time. With what looked to be his first touch since coming off the bench, Sulemana drilled home a shot from the best part of 25 yards out, sparking mass celebrations inside the Sardegna Arena.
The joyous scenes were almost amplified in added time when Zito Luvumbo forced Lorenzo Montipò into a save down to his left-hand side, but the Verona goalkeeper was able to keep the score level.
It’s a point that doesn’t really help either side in the survival battle, with the duo two points ahead of 18th-placed Frosinone.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ondrej Duda (Hellas Verona)
