After winning four of their opening five games before the international break, Cagliari went into this weekend as the league’s biggest surprise package.
However, Juventus controlled the opening exchanges and should have taken a 15th-minute lead when Nicolas Gonzalez diverted the ball wide with his knee from six yards out.
The Argentinian was made to rue that miss five minutes later, when Daniel Maldini latched onto Paul Mendy’s lay-off and slotted home to score for the fourth successive Serie A match, as he netted the opening goal for the fifth time in his last seven goalscoring outings.
That was the first time this season Juve had conceded before the hour mark, and they almost fell further behind when Harry Winks’ long-range drive was tipped over the crossbar by Guglielmo Vicario.
The Bianconeri continued to dominate possession but they lacked a cutting edge, and did not register a shot on target until Gonzalez sent a free-kick straight at Elia Caprile in first-half stoppage time.
Luciano Spalletti made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Kerim Alajbegovic and Edon Zhegrova for Weston McKennie and Francisco Conceicao, and Zhegrova soon stung the palms of Caprile as Juve immediately looked more threatening.
However, the visitors were vulnerable on the break, and Vicario twice saved one-on-one from Mendy, although the forward was ultimately flagged offside on both occasions.
With time running out for the Bianconeri, Spalletti threw on Nick Woltemade and Andrea Cambiaso in search of an equaliser, and Caprile tipped away another Zhegrova effort.
Juve looked like they were running out of ideas until Kolo Muani nodded home Alajbegovic’s cross nine minutes from time to equalise with his first league goal of the season.
The Frenchman should have scored again four minutes later, when he somehow hit the underside of the bar from close range – a chance that proved the Bianconeri’s best hope of snatching a winner. Kolo Muani’s equaliser also stopped Cagliari claiming back-to-back victories over Juve for the first time since 2009.
The Rossoblu stay fourth in the table, while Juventus will end the weekend sixth, and just two points behind their opponents, having now lost just one of their last nine away games (W4, D4).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kerim Alajbegovic (Juventus)
