Raffaele Palladino’s side claimed three valuable points on Saturday, scoring twice after half-time to leave Cagliari with a second consecutive defeat. Casale opened the scoring in the 57th minute, and Bernardeschi settled the contest from the penalty spot late in the second half.
The opening period was cautious, with neither side able to establish a clear advantage. Cagliari’s first notable opportunity came when Michel Adopo crossed from the left for Mendy, whose acrobatic effort went wide. Bologna responded through Jens Odgaard, who was played in by Bernardeschi but saw his attempt from a tight angle kept out by Elia Caprile.
The match remained goalless at the interval, but Bologna made the breakthrough 12 minutes into the second half. Juan Miranda delivered a corner, and Casale rose above the defence to direct a header beyond Caprile.
Cagliari struggled to turn possession into a sustained threat after falling behind. Their task became harder when a shot from Bernardeschi struck Juan Rodríguez’s arm inside the area. The referee awarded a penalty, and Bernardeschi took responsibility himself, sending Caprile the wrong way to make it 2-0.
Palladino was pleased with the response his team produced after their previous defeat to Inter, praising the discipline and attitude that carried them through a difficult away fixture.
“Coming to Cagliari wasn’t easy. These are three very important points because we need to climb the table. It’s a difficult ground, and we showed the right spirit. I liked the players. Those who started battled from the beginning.”
The Bologna coach also highlighted the team’s collective effort and concentration, important factors in securing a second away win.
Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane felt his side had enjoyed more of the play but acknowledged that their approach had lacked the directness needed to trouble Bologna consistently.
“Looking at the numbers, I think Cagliari dominated the game and Bologna were more cautious. We didn’t attack the space enough and played too horizontally. In the second half, we had a different idea, but we didn’t manage to carry it out.”
Pisacane also pointed to the decisive corner and the defensive mistake that allowed Casale to score.
“The game was decided on a corner. A misplaced movement led to the goal that ultimately changed the match.”
The Cagliari coach nevertheless urged his players to retain perspective and learn from the defeat.
“Let’s keep working, take the positives from today, and fuel our growth with rationality.”
Bologna’s victory lifted Palladino’s side as they look to move up the table, while Cagliari must address their attacking shortcomings before their next fixture.