Yildiz Magic Lifts Juventus Past Cagliari to Keep Home Run Alive

The Allianz Stadium glowed under the Saturday night lights as Juventus leaned on the brilliance of Kenan Yildiz to secure a gritty 2-1 victory over Cagliari, preserving their unbeaten home record in Serie A and reminding the league of their growing resilience under pressure.

The game began quietly, with neither side finding much rhythm. That changed abruptly in the 26th minute when Cagliari stunned the home crowd. Marco Palestra pressed aggressively down the right, stealing the ball from Filip Kostic before whipping a low cross into the penalty area. Sebastiano Esposito arrived perfectly, tapping home to give the visitors a shock 1-0 lead.

The Allianz Stadium was still digesting the moment when Juventus delivered the perfect response—just one minute later. Khephren Thuram’s loose pass fell kindly for Yildiz, who reacted with sharp instinct, darting into the box and guiding a composed right-footed finish into the bottom corner. It was the young Turk’s third Serie A goal of the season, and he wasn’t done.

As half-time approached, Juventus produced their finest move of the match. Locatelli pierced the midfield line with a through ball to McKennie, who flicked brilliantly around the corner for Pierre Kalulu. The defender spotted Yildiz lurking on the edge of the box and fed him with precision. The winger surged forward, riding the ball in stride before bending a wonderful left-footed shot into the bottom right corner. Juventus 2, Cagliari 1 and momentum had truly shifted.

Cagliari entered the second half needing inspiration, but their attacks arrived only in spurts. Esposito sent Idrissi through on goal in the 59th minute, but Mattia Perin was equal to the effort, palming the shot behind. Moments later, Mattia Felici produced a superb solo run, beating Kalulu and cutting inside before firing across goal—but Perin gathered calmly to preserve the lead.

Juventus, meanwhile, pushed for a killer third. Jonathan David and Conceicao combined well, only for chances to fizzle out at the crucial moment. Teun Koopmeiners flashed a fierce drive inches wide, and Cambiaso threatened with clever movement on the left. The hosts finished with 1.75 xG, repeatedly carving out half-chances without finding the net again.

But in truth, the damage had already been done before the interval. Cagliari’s 0.54 xG reflected their struggle to impose themselves, and despite spirited moments, they lacked the consistency to trouble Juventus late on.

The 2-1 victory keeps Juventus’ strong form intact they remain unbeaten at home and now shift focus to a Coppa Italia clash with Udinese on Tuesday. Cagliari, stuck in a troubling run of eight winless league matches, head to Naples next as pressure mounts on their survival hopes.

Yildiz walked off the pitch to a hero’s reception. Two goals, immense confidence, and decisive quality on a night when Juventus needed a spark, he delivered in style.