Cagliari appeared determined to end their run of seven consecutive Serie A home games without scoring in the first half, and Roberto Piccoli thought he ended that unwanted record with an early goal, but the strike was ruled out for offside.
The Islanders were dominant throughout the opening stages, and it looked like luck would not be on their side when Florinel Coman’s attempt to play a quick free kick around the wall backfired, thumping off the post.
Eventually though, the hosts got their rewards for a positive start and opened the scoring in back-to-back league matches for the first time since November, after Piccoli’s through ball found Nicolas Viola, who took a touch past two defenders and fired past Nicola Leali.
Generally passive for most of the half, Genoa struggled to really threaten until first-half injury time as Caleb Ekuban poked wide from inside the six-yard box.
Genoa built on any momentum generated by that late chance, and wasted no time in levelling the scores after the break, with Maxwel Cornet slamming in his second goal from four matches via Ekuban’s low cross.
In a complete role reversal compared to the first half, the Rossoblù suddenly had the momentum, and Koni De Winter missed a golden opportunity to put the visitors in front, heading wide from Aaron Martín’s cross.
The match could have gone either way in the latter stages, with late penalty appeals for both sides turned down. Notably, referee Michael Fabbri waved away protests for a foul on Genoa’s Andrea Pinamonti, before dismissing a potential handball from Johan Vasquez, adding to the sense that this simply wouldn’t be anyone’s night.
And so it proved, with the sides ultimately drawing both league H2Hs for the second time in three seasons.
Davide Nicola’s Cagliari may look towards improving home form as a saviour in their ongoing battle against Serie A relegation, with the Sardinians now taking seven points from their last five at the Unipol Domus.
In contrast, Patrick Vieira’s Genoa are struggling for form on the road, and the Rossoblù’s continued failure to win away since late December has hindered their chances of a top-half finish.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Roberto Piccoli (Cagliari)