Atalanta 2 - 2 Cagliari

Atalanta 2-2 Cagliari

Updated: October 31, 2007, 11:51 PM UK

Michele Fini put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot in the first half but Daniele Capelli equalised after the break.

Substitute Alessandro Matri restored Cagliari's advantage but Cristiano Doni restored parity before Atalanta's Riccardo Zampagna was given his marching orders late on.

The point leaves Atalanta sixth and keeps Cagliari two places above the relegation zone in 16th.

Doni could have put the home side ahead after two minutes. Simone Padoin crossed after some good work from Ferreira Pinto and Doni got on the end of it, but his effort went wide of the target.

The visitors threatened four minutes later when Andrea Parola drilled a 25-yard effort which whistled past Ferdinado Coppola's right-hand post.

On 11 minutes Fernando Tissone and Doni played a great one-two but Tissoni could not finish the move, shooting wide of the goal when it looked easier to score.

Nerazzurri midfielder Antonio Langella started and nearly finished a great counter-attack on 16 minutes, but his shot brushed the wrong side of the post.

Riccardo Zampagna tried his luck 19 minutes in from 25 yards but his shot went wide.

Doni skimmed the bar 10 minutes later with a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area as the home side began to look dangerous.

The deadlock was broken by Cagliari when Fini's 38th-minute cross from the left was stopped by Zampagna with his arm inside the box.

Fini stepped up to take the penalty and placed it in the left side of the goal.

Two minutes later Robert Acquafresca skimmed the post with a header from Alessandro Budel's perfectly flighted free-kick.

A minute before the break Daniele Conti passed to Fini, but the Cagliari midfielder's shot was well saved by Coppola to keep Atalanta in the game.

The home side pulled level 10 minutes after the interval when Capelli sent a bullet of a header into the corner of the net from Doni's inswinging corner.

Twenty minutes from time Matri scored what looked to be a winner for Cagliari when Coppola parried Parola's long-range effort straight to the forward.

With 10 minutes left on the clock Doni equalised with a fantastic free-kick into the top corner from 20 yards.

The home side's joy at equalising was tainted in stoppage time when Zampagna was given his marching orders for a professional foul, but there was not enough time for Cagliari to press for a winner.

Atalanta are now unbeaten in their last four games in Serie A, where as Cagliari have now failed to win in four and need to start picking up points to ease their relegation fears.