At Bentegodi, the 17th round fixture of Serie A 2023/2024 between Verona and Cagliari took place.
The game started at a high tempo. In the 4th minute, Verona’s Saponara, after a powerful run, saw his effort blocked by Dossena just a few feet from goalkeeper Scuffet. Momentum swung back and forth as both teams seized the opportunities presented to them. Eight minutes into the game, a swift Cagliari counter-attack was spearheaded by Nandez, who released a shot whistling just wide of the post.
Despite good efforts from both the teams, no goal was scored in the first half. The second half kicked off with a dire situation for Cagliari after Makumbu received a second yellow card, leaving the Sardinian team with just 10 men on the field.
It was in the 53rd minute of the game when Verona netted the first goal. “Ngonge starts from the right and moves to centre, shooting at the far post,” said Calcio News 24, where the original story was published.
Verona was close to doubling their lead with a powerful shot on goal by Duda from a 25-yard free kick in the 60th minute, but his effort was in vain. Towards the end of the match, drama ensued when Verona’s Doig claimed a foul inside Cagliari’s penalty area. Referee Orsato allowed the play to continue.
Verona scored their second goal in the 89th minute of the game. “During a home team counter-attack, Djuric is sent to take a penalty kick, which he slots perfectly in the corner,” Calcio News 24 reported.
At the end of the match, the result stood at Verona 2-0 Cagliari, with goals from Ngonge and Djuric. Despite one-man short Cagliari made great efforts but could not turn the tide.
The starting line-ups included Montipò, Tchatchoua, Hien, Dawidowicz, Terracciano, Duda, and Hongla amongst others for Verona. The starting XI for Cagliari featured Scuffet, Nandez, Goldaniga, Dossena, and Augello. The Cagliari team was led by renowned coach Claudio Ranieri.
The story sees another exciting weekend of Italian football and will add to the much-anticipated discussions about the Serie A title race.