Maldini scored in the 54th minute at the Bluenergy Stadium, punishing a costly defensive error to take his tally to three goals in as many league games, after earlier strikes against Lecce and Atalanta. The goal sent Cagliari to 12 points, with a fourth win in five matches and a third from as many away trips, and lifted them to third in the table for a time.
He is also back in the national picture. Roberto Mancini has called him up to Italy’s squad for the Nations League games, some 12 months after his last appearance for the Azzurri, and Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane had made the case for him in his pre-match press conference.
“He deserves it, I didn’t think he was so strong. The other coaches described him to me as a player with crystal-clear talent, but he’s also something more,” Pisacane said, according to Virgilio Sport.
Speaking to DAZN afterwards, Maldini said the win had followed the script.
“Yes, before the game the coach had told us this would be the game plan and we got what we wanted. It was a very important win for us.”
It was a game that Cagliari had to survive rather than control. Udinese were wasteful, and Keinan Davis, Nicolò Zaniolo, Christian Kabasele and Gueye were all denied by Caprile, who has now kept a clean sheet in three of Cagliari’s five league games.
Maldini was asked whether the goal was the best way to arrive at Coverciano for the call-up.
“Yes, it’s important, but winning was really fundamental. Today anyone could have scored, at the back Eli saved us a thousand times, so it was a very important win for all of us.”
Pisacane, speaking after the match, described Caprile as the goalkeeper who deserved a call-up as well, and argued that if the goalkeeper keeps performing like this, he can aspire to be one of the three or four keepers in the Italian national team.