Cagliari Calcio 1 Leeds United 1: Good wishes and good omens as Whites match Italian top-flight hosts

Judging by chairman Andrea Radrizzani’s post match comments, the two clubs might be seeing plenty more of each other and definitely in 12 months’ time.

“Thanks for tonight Cagliari Calcio. See you at Elland Road next summer” came the message from Leeds United’s Twitter account in the aftermath of Saturday night’s friendly in Sardinia, accompanying a few words from Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani, who spoke of a clearly close relationship with Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini

“We came here to meet a good friend like Tomasso and hopefully to start a good partnership between the two clubs on both a football and commercial side,” said Radrizzani.

“We had a couple of meetings that were very good with our team so I am very happy with this weekend.”

The Whites chairman then acknowledged that however positive the trip to Cagliari had been, next weekend and Sunday’s Championship opener at Bristol City ultimately meant crunch time.

“Next weekend we start the real football and play for points so I hope this will be a good wish for our season.”

Good wishes, and, in the end, good omens, with Leeds emerging with great credit from their friendly against a top flight Italian side ahead of their own bid to finally become a top flight English side next year.

United’s display against Cagliari at Sardegna Arena was far from perfect and Leeds looked to be heading for defeat amidst the same old questions about their defensive options when Valter Birsa fired the Serie A side ahead in the 14th minute.

Dangerman and Italy international Leonardo Pavoletti escaped the attentions of skipper Liam Cooper to chest a ball down into the area and when Ben White missed his attempted clearance, Birsa took full advantage by rifling home a low finish that beat Kiko Casilla at his near post.

All eyes were on White as the new on loan Brighton centre-back lined up alongside Cooper at the centre of defence for the first time yet head coach Marcelo Bielsa opted to feature the pair in a centre back axis of three that also featured Gaetano Berardi.

The trio lined up behind a midfield of Kalvin Phillips in the holding role with Adam Forshaw and Leif Davis ahead on either side supporting the excellent Mateusz Klich in the no 10 role.Marquee summer signing Helder Costa and Pablo Hernandez then flanked Patrick Bamford in what was effectively a front three.

Other potential options were either injured or representing another Whites XI in a friendly against recently relegated Spanish Segunda Division side Girona at Manchester.

That game kicked off two and a half hours before the Cagliari clash with goals from Clarke Oduor, Jack Harrison and a Gjanni Alioski penalty seeing Leeds to victory.

Job done but after a quarter of an hour, United’s prospects in Sardinia did not look good.

Yet whilst Cagliari continued to threaten with pace on the counter, eventually that back three weathered any further storms, albeit with the help of some wayward finishing from the Italians who had plenty of chances throughout 94 minutes of football in near on 30 degrees centigrade.

But United again showed they are capable of turning up the heat offensively and the 50th minute penalty converted by Pablo Hernandez after the Klich had been tripped in pursuit of a Davis pass was the least that they deserved.

Both sides then had chances to win the encounter before United’s night took a turn for the worse when Kalvin Phillips was shown a straight red-card for a full blooded and committed challenge on Simone Pinna with five minutes to go.

Referee Valerio Marini di Roma then produced probably one of the quickest movements of the night by reaching for his red the second Phillips had made contact.

United’s midfielder looked flabbergasted that his challenge had been viewed with such disdain and the 23-year-old said his apologies and shook Pinna’s hand before heading off for an early bath to the heckles of the crowd.

Those home fans then looked like having the last laugh as Cagliari made their numerical advantage count in the closing stages but first Alberto Cerri and then Marko Pajac failed to beat Casilla.

But United’s Spanish magician Pablo Hernandez almost caught keeper Simone Aresti out with an audacious long range lob in the 89th minute before 17-year-old rising star Pole Mateusz Bogusz who was on as a substitute burst into the Cagliari box in added time after a decent link up with Patrick Bamford only to see his shot blocked.

In the end, honours were even following an entertaining game in which both sides squandered other very good chances.

Cagliari’s Birsa saw a thumping low shot saved by Casilla while Joao Pedro failed to finish after a superb cross from Charalambos Lykogiannis flew across the Leeds box with White missing his clearance.

Christian Oliva and Pedro also should have both beaten Casilla with free headers around the hour mark while Albertoi Cerri sent another free header over the bar.

But Leeds had just as many if not more clear chances with Hernandez blazing just wide in the 12th minute and Bamford also wide of the target with two chances from inside the box.

Klich also forced a spectacular save from keeper Alesasio Cragno and more opportunities went begging after Hernandez’s penalty with the Spaniard blazing a good chance over from Bamford’s pull back.

United’s best chance of the second half then fell to substitute Jack Clarke with the Tottenham Hotspur loanee seeing his firm low shot saved by Cragno following a fine cross from Bogusz.

There is no getting away from the fact that Leeds are still missing too many chances and that habit cost the Whites promotion last term.

Yet there is equally no denying the fluency of the Whites in creating those chances which Radrizzani will be praying this time leads to his men being a top flight side when new friends Leeds and Cagliari meet again next year.

Cagliari starting XI: Cragno; Mattiello, Ceppitelli, Klavan, Lykogiann?s; Rog, Oliva, Ioni??; Birsa; João Pedro, Pavoletti. Substitutes: Aresti, Rafael, Pajaxc, Pinna, Pisacane, Romagna, Walukiewicz, Bradaric, Cigarini, Marigosu, Cerri, Han.

Leeds United: Casilla, Davis, Cooper, White, Berardi, Phillips, Klich (Bogusz 65), Forshaw, Costa (Clarke 61), Hernandez, Bamford. Subs not used: Rae, Jenkins, Casey.