--- title: "Juventus Fall to Surprise Defeat Against Cagliari Despite Dominant Statistics" url: https://newscentral.site/juventus-fall-to-surprise-defeat-against-cagliari-despite-dominant/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Sports" published: 2026-10-12T06:05:47.000Z updated: 2026-10-12T06:41:19.318Z id: bf751a48-4274-42db-8ffd-86025fa3b01d source: "Yahoo Sports https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/juventus-t-turn-statistical-dominance-060547180.html" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/juventus-fall-to-surprise-defeat-against-cagliari-despite-dominant/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Juventus Fall to Surprise Defeat Against Cagliari Despite Dominant Statistics Despite outshooting and outpassing Cagliari 22-4 and 503 times respectively, Juventus trailed against the Sardinian side on Sunday. In a shocking turn of events, Juventus found themselves trailing against Cagliari on Sunday despite dominating possession and passing statistics. The Bianconeri outshot their opponent 22-4 and attempted an astonishing 503 more passes than Cagliari, but were unable to capitalize on their advantage. Cagliari took the lead in the 20th minute with a swift counterattack that ended with Daniele Maldini scoring his fourth goal in as many Serie A games - also marking his birthday. The home side's early goal gave Juventus a mountain to climb, and it wasn't until first half stoppage time that they managed to put a shot on target. The second half saw Juventus make some halftime substitutions, but despite their efforts, the visitors struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities. Juventus's dominance on paper was not reflected in their performance on the field as they struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities despite making some halftime substitutions. The visitors' efforts were nearly rewarded when a pair of players had chances to put Juve ahead, but their shots were thwarted by the crossbar, leaving the score still at 1-1. Cagliari's goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was called upon to make crucial saves as Juventus pushed for a winning goal, but he remained steadfast in his efforts. The Bianconeri reflected on what could have been after the match, acknowledging that they had missed out on two valuable points. Juventus' starting lineup was weakened by several key absences, including Yael Trepy, Riyad Idrissi, and Mattia Felici who were unavailable due to injury or illness. In their place, manager opted for a 4-3-2-1 formation, with Elia Caprile between the posts. The defense was marshaled by Zé Pedro, Yerry Mina, Juan Rodriguez, and Adam Obert. The midfield trio of Michel Adopo, Harry Winks, and Alessandro Romano provided support to the back four, while Maldini joined forces with Yanis Massolin in a striking partnership that also included Paul Mendy. Juve's early promise was evident as they earned a corner within seconds of kickoff, but their momentum was short-lived as Cagliari's defense held firm. Juventus' attacking woes continued as they struggled to create scoring opportunities despite dominating possession. The team's hesitation to release the ball and maintain possession was evident in their inability to capitalize on Cagliari's defensive solidity. A promising counterattack ensued when Obert, Maldini, and Mendy combined to win the ball back and start a swift attack down the left flank. Maldini, who had just turned 25, unleashed a shot that deflected off Bremer and fell perfectly for Mendy, allowing him to lay it back for Maldini's follow-up attempt. The Cagliari midfielder slotted the ball past Vicario with his trailing foot, securing an important goal for his team. As the game continued, Juventus' coach Spalletti made some crucial substitutions to inject fresh energy into his team's attack. Alajbegovic and Edon Zhegrova were brought on in place of McKennie and Conceição. Luiz had an early shot at goal that was relatively straightforward, but then Zhegrova forced him to work harder with a precision strike at the far post. The Kosovo international continued to push for an equalizer, his efforts making it clear he wanted to make up for some earlier missed opportunities. Despite his best attempts, however, Juventus found themselves struggling to break through Cagliari's defense. Zhegrova had one shot blocked and then another excellent curling effort that Caprile managed to parry with a spectacular leap. It seemed as though the team was heading towards defeat against an opponent they shouldn't have been losing to. Just when it appeared that Juventus would be unable to salvage the game, Alajbegovic got his chance to make a decisive contribution. With 10 minutes left on the clock, he received some space to deliver a cross into the box, and Nick Woltemade cleverly drew Deiola in with a run to the near post. This created an opening for Kolo Muani, who was able to head the ball home and tie the score. The momentum from Kolo Muani's equalizing goal seemed to invigorate the Juventus team, but their scoring opportunities continued to be squandered in the following minutes. A promising chance arose four minutes after the tie when Alajbegovic played a beautiful ball to Kolo Muani, who was left unmarked and had ample space to strike at the ball. However, his half-volley struck the underside of the bar with too much force, and Woltemade's header on the rebound lacked sufficient power to pose a threat to Caprile. The Bianconeri's frustration continued as the game neared its conclusion, with Kolo Muani again presented with an opportunity for a close-range volley but being thwarted by Caprile. --- Source: [Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/juventus-t-turn-statistical-dominance-060547180.html) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/juventus-fall-to-surprise-defeat-against-cagliari-despite-dominant/