Sassuolo-Cagliari 0-2, Ranieri’s team is mathematically safe at 36. Prati’s heavy goal in the 71st minute decided the fate of the match, with the icing and seal of the victory being Lapadula’s goal from a penalty in the first of 6 minutes of injury time.
Emilians relegated. The verdict came from the results on the other pitches: Frosinone’s success and the draw between Udinese and Empoli condemn the neroverdi, who with one matchday to go are at 29 points, -4 from the third to last and therefore no longer reachable.
After Salernitana, the Emilian team is the second team to leave Serie A.
First half blocked at 0-0 at the Mapei Stadium. Both teams are aware of what is at stake. The only chance of the match worth mentioning so far is that of Pinamonti in the 25th minute, missing the goal by very little. However, the guests played better even if Consigli’s goal was never in any danger.
In the second half Ranieri’s men they try to raise the pace of the game and in the 71st minute they took the lead with Prati’s goal. Following Deiola’s free kick in the area, a pinball game is unleashed, then Dossena protects the ball and from the ground serves the new rossoblù substitute who, without thinking twice, hurls a fireball into the goal, Consigli immobile. Cagliari felt salvation was close and in the 90’+1′ they doubled their lead on a penalty converted by Lapadula.
The one that took place in Reggio Emilia it was a direct battle for salvation. The hosts were in penultimate place, four points behind the Sardinians, who therefore had two results out of three available. In the last round the Emilians had lost 2-1 at Genoa.
Cagliari is safe: great work by Claudio Ranieri who gave determination and serenity to the island environment even if in some situations he risked sinking very low in the rankings. Heavy defeat on the 36th matchday 5-1 for the rossoblù.
The match
Contracted teams, slow pace and many technical errors: the first stage at Mapei turns out to be unspectacular and very balanced. Sassuolo undoubtedly had the best chance of the first half in the 25th minute, when Pinamonti headed the ball just wide from Missori’s delightful cross. On the other hand, Cagliari are dangerous especially on the counterattack and, in the 40th minute, Lapadula, launched deep, touches the post to the left of Consigli with his left foot.
Sassuolo only has one result available and, from the first minutes of the second half, Ballardini’s boys are forced to take risks, raising their center of gravity on the pitch. The neroverdi thus expose themselves to the guests’ counterattacks; on several occasions, Luvumbo and Lapadula scared an overly unbalanced Sassuolo.
In addition to Luvumbo and Viola, Ranieri also draws Prati from the bench: The Italian midfielder himself became the hero of the day at Cagliari, clearing up a melee in the penalty area and scoring the 1-0 goal in the 71st minute. The light goes out completely in Sassuolo’s home and there is no reaction to the disadvantage. Lapadula ends the match with a penalty kick at the start of injury time. With this victory, Cagliari rises to 36 points, guaranteeing their permanence in Serie A. Sassuolo are sure to be relegated by virtue of the results on the other pitches.
