Monday, February 21, 2022 at 9:01 PM• Rian Rosendaal • Last update: 21:05

On Monday evening, Napoli failed to come next to leader AC Milan in the Serie A. Only one point (1-1) was taken on a visit to Cagliari, so that the gap on the list leader from Milan is now two points: 56 to 54 points. Gaston Pereiro opened the score for the home team after the break. Napoli, which remains in third place and also has to tolerate Internazionale on goal difference, only came alongside in the 87th minute via substitute Victor Osimhen.

Pereiro has played a supporting role in Sardinia for the past three seasons, but has been fighting in the base in recent weeks. The Uruguayan started in a pivotal role as number ten. Razvan Marin, who came over from Ajax in 2020, is normally also in the starting line-up, but now had to make do with a fifteen-minute substitute. Napoli had to do without, among others, Lorenzo Insigne and Hirving Lozano due to injuries, so that a starting place was reserved for Dries Mertens.

A wrong pass by Kalidou Koulibaly opened up a huge opportunity for Cagliari. João Pedro, however, shot past the far post and produced a nice header later in the first half. Napoli could do almost nothing in return and fell deservedly behind five minutes after the break. Pereiro put the ball on the edge of the penalty area with a bounce towards the far post and saw David Ospina make a hopeless mistake: 1-0.

Immediately afterwards, the home team should have expanded that score, but Ospina now reacted well to a shot by Alessandro Deiola and saw the rebound messed up by Daniele Baselli. Bringing in Osimhen in the 66th minute proved to be a golden opportunity for Napoli, who have only lost four league games this season. The attacker from Nigeria, who, like Fabián Ruiz, came in on the line, made an impeccable header with three minutes left on the clock: 1-1. There was no winner in the five minutes of added time, so Cagliari and Napoli had to settle for a point.