By Anna Italia
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44% Ball Possession CAGLIARI and 56% Ball Possession NAPOLI
Cagliari 0 – 3 Napoli 
. 24′ Jose Maria Callejon
. 45′ Antonio Baldano (Own goal
. 59′ Manolo Gabbiadini
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Cagliari, 19th position with 21 points and a negative goal difference of -23
Napoli, 4th position with 50 points and a positive goal difference of +13
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Napoli | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 50:37 | 13 | 50 |
| 19 | Cagliari | 30 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 35:58 | -23 | 21 |
Cagliari are battling for salvation being in the 19th position. Napoli looking to win the game to keep the race towards the 3rd position.
Surprise at the Sant’Elia stadium with Napoi silencing the stadium. It is Napoli to open the score in the 24th minute with forward Jose Maria Callejon defeating Cagliari goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic with a right footed shot in the bottom left corner. The assist is by midfielder Marek Hamsik.
What a luck! A cold shower for Cagliari before tending the first half in the 45th minute the own goal by Antonio Balzano! Napoli now with a 0-2 lead. The action started with Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne and then, bam…. the own goal… a total headache for this agonizing Cagliari.
Napoli replcing midfielder Marek Hamsik in the 56th minute with forward Manolo Gabbiadini.
Oh well, what else could go wrong for Cagliari? Just another goal! Another slap. Napoli scoring the third goal of the match in the 59th minute. It is forward Manolo Gabbiadini with just 3 minutes on the pitch to score with a left footed shot leaving goalkeeper Brkic with a total headache… the assist is by forward Gonzalo Higuian.
Here is CAGLIARI official starting lineup by coach Zdenek Zeman:
CAGLIARI (4-3-3): Brkić; Balzano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Avelar; Dessena, Conti, Ekdal; Farias, Sau, M’Poku.
Here is NAPOLI official starting lineup by coach Rafael Benitez:
NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Andújar; Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinić; Jorginho, Gargano; Callejón, Hamšík, Insigne; Higuaín
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Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of CAGLIARI: Forward Marco Sau with 5 goals
Top scorer of NAPOLI: Forward Gonzalo Higuain with 13 goals
| Cagliari | Goals | Goals | Napoi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sau, Marco | 5 | 13 | Higuain, Gonzalo |
| Joao Pedro Galvao | 4 | 10 | Callejon |
| Farias, Diego | 4 | 6 | Zapata, Duvan |
| Ekdal, Albin | 4 | 6 | Hamsik, Marek |
| Avelar, Danilo | 4 | 3 | Mertens, Dries |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of CAGLIARI: 3 lost
| 11/04/15 | SA | Genoa – Cagliari | 2:0 | Round 30 | |||
| 04/04/15 | SA | Cagliari – Lazio | 1:3 | Round 29 | |||
| 21/03/15 | SA | Milan – Cagliari | 3:1 | Round 28 |
Here are the last 3 games of NAPOLI: 2 wins, 1 lost
| 16/04/15 | UELK | Wolfsburg – Napoli | 1:4 | Quarterfinal | |||
| 12/04/15 | SA | Napoli – Fiorentina | 3:0 | Round 30 | |||
| 08/04/15 | CI | Napoli – Lazio | 0:1 | Semifinal |
Disciplinary Situation BEFORE the game. 1 suspended player for CAGLIARI: Crisetig (1)
1 suspended player for NAPOLI: David Lopez (1)
2014 – 2015 Italian Serie A Week 31
Cagliari 0 – 3 Napoli
Sunday 19 April 2015
Sant’Elia Stadium
Cagliari, Italy
18:00
Referee: VALERI
Assistants: POSADO – CARIOLATO
Fourth Official: PEGORIN
ADD1: ORSATO
ADD2: MERCHIORI
Goals: 24′ Jose Maria Callejo (N), 45′ Antonio Balzano (own goal), 59′ Manolo Gabbiadini (N)
Official formations – lineups:
CAGLIARI (4-3-3): Brkić; Balzano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Avelar; Dessena, Conti, Ekdal; Farias, Sau, M’Poku.
Subs.: Cragno, Murru, Pisano, Capuano, González, Diakité, Donsah, João Pedro, Hušbauer, Longo, Čop, Cossu.
Coach.: Zdenek Zeman.
NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Andújar; Maggio, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinić; Jorginho, Gargano; Callejón, Hamšík, Insigne; Higuaín.
Subs.: Rafael, Colombo, Mesto, Henrique, Britos, Ghoulam, Mertens, Inler, Gabbiadini, Zapata.
Coch.: Benítez.