Cagliari 0-2 Bologna: possession without shots costs the hosts
AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- xG 0.44 vs 1.64: Bologna made the better chances
- Cagliari committed 25 fouls, a season high in nine matches
- Bologna conceded four shots; seven-match average 13.6
Bologna had the sharper chances
Bologna won 2-0 at the Unipol Domus with the better chances, despite having less of the ball. Cagliari ended on 0.44 xG against Bologna's 1.64, so the hosts' possession had little to show for it. It was a match in which the side on the ball was not the side creating the danger.
Cagliari's shots dried up
Cagliari had more of the ball than usual but managed only four shots, well below their average of 11.4 across nine matches. Bologna, who have faced an average of 13.6 over seven matches, were barely tested by comparison. That suggests the home side's possession carried little threat in the final third, rather than any lack of time on the ball.
A stop-start match
Cagliari committed 25 fouls, a season high and well clear of their previous maximum of 20. Nicolò Cambiaghi drew nine of them, so the Bologna forwards were repeatedly stopped. Zé Pedro, Roberto Gagliardini and Alessandro Deiola all went into the book, which gave the match a fragmented feel and left Cagliari short of rhythm in attack.
A 57th-minute goal ended the stalemate
Nicolò Casale put Bologna in front in the 57th minute, finishing a move created by Juan Miranda; the goal was worth +1.1 FN xPts to Bologna, while Cagliari's FN xPts fell by −0.8. Federico Bernardeschi added a penalty in the 80th minute to make it two-nil. Casale, the FN MOM, scored his first Serie A goal of the season, and Miranda registered his third assist.
FN MOM
Highest FN Score · our own pick by a published formula, not the official Player of the Match
Nicolò Casale 8.7Dominant
He scored once, made seven defensive actions including five interceptions, and completed 34 of 37 passes.
Casale's value came at both ends. His five interceptions and two tackles helped stop a Cagliari side that managed only one shot on target from building anything, and his own shot on target was the goal that ended the stalemate in the 57th minute. Bologna then led for about 33 minutes and kept a clean sheet.
Game state
0-10-2
Cagliari ahead 0 min · level 57 min · Bologna ahead 33 min
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist. The value next to a team code is what the same moment did to the other side's expected points; the decisive moment is the one with the largest combined change for both teams.
57'
Nicolò Casale
Goal · scorer +0.8 · assist Juan Miranda +0.3 · CAG −0.8
+1.1
80'
Federico Bernardeschi
Pen goal · CAG −0.2
+0.3
Cagliari
Expected (last two seasons) 1.3Own moments 0.0Opponent moments −1.0Time effect −0.3→ League points won 0
Bologna
Expected (last two seasons) 1.5Own moments +1.4Opponent moments 0.0Time effect +0.1→ League points won 3
Expected points don't add up to a fixed total (a draw is 1 + 1), so an opponent's moment isn't simply the mirror of your loss. "Time effect" is the change as the clock runs down on a lead or a chase, and isn't credited to any player.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
CagliariBologna
0.44Expected goals (xG)1.64
Compared with usual
Cagliari
9 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 0 | 0.89 | |
| Conceded | 2 | 1 | |
| xG | 0.44 | 1.1 | |
| xG against | 1.64 | 1.8 | |
| Shots | 4 | 11.4 | |
| On target | 1 | 3.9 | |
| Shots faced | 10 | 18.2 | |
| xG per shot | 0.11 | 0.13 | |
| Possession | 57% | 43.3% | |
| Passes | 513 | 426.4 | |
| Corners | 1 | 4.1 | |
| Fouls | 25 | 10.8 | high |
Bologna
7 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 2 | 0.86 | |
| Conceded | 0 | 1.4 | |
| xG | 1.64 | 1.2 | |
| xG against | 0.44 | 1.3 | |
| Shots | 10 | 12.6 | |
| On target | 5 | 3.6 | |
| Shots faced | 4 | 13.6 | |
| xG per shot | 0.16 | 0.1 | |
| Possession | 43% | 48.4% | |
| Passes | 382 | 443 | |
| Corners | 6 | 3.7 | |
| Fouls | 13 | 12.7 | |
Timeline
- 32'
Yellow
Federico Bernardeschi
- 38'
Yellow
Zé Pedro
- 45'
Sub
Zé Pedro → Yukinari Sugawara
- 45'
Sub
Harry Winks → Roberto Gagliardini
- 55'
Yellow
Roberto Gagliardini
- 57'
Goal
Nicolò Casale league goal #1 assist Juan Miranda
- 67'
Sub
Daniel Maldini → Kevin Carlos
- 75'
Sub
Nadir Zortea → Marco Libra
- 75'
Sub
Jens Odgaard → Mikel Amondarain
- 75'
Sub
Juan Miranda → Abdel Rahim
- 75'
Sub
Alessandro Romano → Alieu Fadera
- 77'
Yellow
Alessandro Deiola
- 80'
Goal
Federico Bernardeschi (pen) league goal #2
- 85'
Sub
Matteo Darmian → Martin Vitík
- 86'
Sub
Yanis Massolin → Giuseppe Aurelio
- 88'
Sub
Federico Bernardeschi → Samuel Mbangula
Category leaders
- Key passesFederico Bernardeschi2
- Duels wonNicolò Cambiaghi14/21
- DribblesFederico Bernardeschi3/5
- Defensive actionsNicolò Casale7
- ShotsFederico Bernardeschi4 (on target 2)
- Fouls wonNicolò Cambiaghi9
#Cagliari#Bologna#Serie A#Nicolò Casale#Federico Bernardeschi#Matchweek 8
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.