Serie A | Juventus 2-1 Cagliari: Kenan Yildiz completes fightback

Kenan Yildiz took Juventus in hand and scored twice to overturn Cagliari for a 2-1 victory, but Dusan Vlahovic went off with a muscular injury.

The Bianconeri ended their run of three straight draws in all competition by beating Bodo/Glimt 3-2 away in the Champions League midweek. Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz returned to the starting XI, with Federico Gatti and Michele Di Gregorio not at 100 per cent, plus Daniele Rugani, Gleison Bremer, Arek Milik and Carlo Pinsoglio injured. The Sardinians were without a victory since September 19, but held Udinese and Como to away draws, fresh from a 3-3 thriller with Genoa. Yerry Mina, Luca Mazzitelli, Marko Rog, Ze Pedro and Andrea Belotti didn’t make the trip.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Marco Palestra tried to rob Filip Kostic in the penalty area during the first minute, but was penalised for a shirt tug, then his counter-attack was deflected over by a Teun Koopmeiners block.

Palestra was a constant threat and he created the opening goal, robbing Kostic again to pull back from the right by-line, where Sebastiano Esposito and Manuel Locatelli both went for the ball in the six-yard box.

However, Juventus equalised straight after play resumed, as Khephren Thuram won a challenge in midfield and completed a give and go with Kenan Yildiz, who fired in first-time with the outside of the right boot from 14 yards.

Vlahovic went for an angled drive moments later that tested Elia Caprile, but the Serbian suffered a muscular problem during that move and hobbled off almost in tears, replaced by Jonathan David.

Francisco Conceicao’s header was straight at Caprile and Weston McKennie blasted over on the half-volley, but Juventus turned it around in first half stoppages.

Pierre Kalulu was sent down the right by a McKennie back-heel flick, rolled across for Kenan Yildiz to control on the edge of the area, surge past two defenders, and sweep the snooker shot finish into the far bottom corner.

After the restart, Conceicao ran onto a David slide-rule pass only to scuff the finish one-on-one with Caprile, while Teun Koopmeiners drilled inches wide from a Conceicao assist.

Riyad Idrissi ran onto an inspired Esposito pass off the outside of the boot and forced a tough save out of Mattia Perin at the near post.

Conceicao blasted over from 12 yards on the Andrea Cambiaso low cross, then hit another promising opportunity straight at the goalkeeper.

There were appeals in stoppages for potential handball when Gennaro Borrelli’s header at the back post was charged down by Fabio Miretti, but the hand appeared to be the Cagliari player.

Juventus 2-1 Cagliari

Esposito 26 (C), Yildiz 27, 45+1 (J)