Cagliari and Juventus finished 1-1, but the strongest numbers from the night sat with the two scorers. Daniel Maldini made it 4 Serie A goals in 6 appearances this season when he put Cagliari ahead in the 20th minute. Randal Kolo Muani then ended his league drought with Juventus's equaliser late on, a goal they badly needed after another away display with plenty of possession and too little conviction.

A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese, summed up the result neatly: "Vecchia signora went no further than a draw (1-1) at Cagliari’s ground."

Maldini's run carried on

Maldini's goal was not a surprise anymore. It was his fourth consecutive Serie A goal, and it came from a player who has started this season far more productively than many expected.

He now has 4 league goals in 6 appearances, and that changes the conversation around Cagliari's start. They are fifth in Serie A with 12 points after five matches, so this was not just a smaller side hanging on for a point. Fabio Pisacane's team look organised, competitive and increasingly dangerous when Maldini gets central touches.

The opener arrived in the 20th minute and gave the game the shape Juventus did not want. Once Cagliari had something to protect, they could sit in and ask Juventus to break them down properly rather than simply dominate the ball.

That was where the visitors disappointed again. The control was obvious enough in the numbers, 71 per cent possession and 21 shots, but one goal from that volume is a poor return for a side that started the weekend eighth with 10 points from five matches.

Juventus had the ball, not the edge

The game became an exercise in Juventus probing without doing enough damage. They had territory, they had the shot count, and still most of the pressure felt heavier on paper than on the scoreboard.

Kolo Muani's goal mattered because it stopped the night becoming even worse, but it also highlighted how late Juventus left themselves. His equaliser is widely reported as arriving in the 81st minute, though Foot Mercato put it in the 88th. The broader point does not change much either way: Juventus only found a route back in the final phase of the match.

Kolo Muani's finish was his first Serie A goal of the season, which says plenty about his own slow league start. He completed 90 minutes and finally supplied the decisive touch, but the bigger issue remains the attack around him. A side with Juventus's share of the ball should not need a rescue act every time the opponent scores first.

A Bola, again in a translation from Portuguese, reported: "The Portuguese international, in fact, was substituted by Luciano Spalletti at half-time and the vecchia signora would only reach the equaliser in the final phase of the match."

That line referred to Francisco Conceição, whose removal at the break did not immediately improve Juventus. The chase dragged on until Kolo Muani finally converted late.

What the draw says about both teams

This result suited Cagliari far more than Juventus, even without turning a draw into a grand statement. Cagliari's early-season position looks deserved, and Maldini's scoring run is now a major reason why.

For Juventus, the problem is harder to ignore because the pattern is so familiar. Big possession numbers and 21 shots sound like authority, but a 1-1 draw in Cagliari vs Juventus still goes down as more dropped points for a team sitting eighth after five matches.

Maldini left with another goal on his season line. Kolo Muani left with his first in the league. Juventus left Sardinia with one point.

FAQ

Why are Juventus still dropping points despite controlling games?

Juventus had 71 per cent possession and 21 shots at Cagliari but still needed a late equaliser to draw 1-1. The game fit a familiar problem from this result: plenty of territorial control, not enough cutting edge, and too much of the attacking work arriving only in the closing stages.

How well is Daniel Maldini playing for Cagliari this season?

Maldini is in strong form. He scored in the 20th minute against Juventus, giving him 4 Serie A goals in 6 appearances this season. That strike was also his fourth consecutive Serie A goal, which makes this run look like a genuine hot streak rather than an isolated good game.

Did Randal Kolo Muani finally score his first Serie A goal of the season?

Yes. Kolo Muani scored Juventus's equaliser in the 81st minute, according to most reports cited here, and it was his first Serie A goal of the season. The goal mattered for the result, but it also arrived after another uneven league display from Juventus as a team.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →