Udinese edge Cagliari 1-0 as VAR overturns penalty decision in Serie A
Cagliari defender Mlacic forced off after collision with post; Zaniolo strikes woodwork in first half.
Udinese secured a 1-0 victory over Cagliari in the 36th round of Serie A at the Unipol Domus. The match, which saw both teams field a 3-5-2 formation, was characterised by a lack of excitement in the first half before Udinese striker Buksa broke the deadlock in the 56th minute.
The decisive goal was scored by Buksa, who received a pass from Solet that was picked out by Kamara for a tap-in in the middle of the box. It marked the striker's third Serie A goal of the campaign. Earlier in the match, Cagliari had missed a clear opportunity when Zaniolo struck the post, while defender Mlacic was forced off in the 55th minute after colliding with the same post.
A potential penalty for Cagliari in the second half was overturned following a VAR review. The incident occurred after Cagliari defender Karlstrom was involved in a challenge, leading to an initial award of the spot kick. However, the decision was upheld after the referee reviewed the monitor, ruling that Karlstrom's arm was in a natural position at the time of contact.
Cagliari came close to taking the lead when Seba Esposito fired from close range with the goal at his mercy. Udinese goalkeeper Okoye was beaten by the ball, but Mlacic threw himself at it and desperately cleared it off the line. Shortly after this scare, the defender slammed his side into the post and had to be substituted.
It is worth noting that Cagliari's expected defender Mina was replaced by Rodriguez after picking up an issue during warm-ups. The first half ended 0-0, described as having little excitement, before Udinese managed to respond and step on the gas in the second period.
