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Despite playing for an hour with 10 men, Udinese still managed to ruin the debut of new Cagliari Coach Davide Ballardini.
The Sardinians needed to start 2008 on the right foot after ending last year rock bottom and without a win in 11 games. Coach Ballardini made his debut on the bench - their third Coach of the campaign after Marco Giampaolo and Nedo Sonetti's dismissal - but he had Michele Ferri suspended with Michele Canini and Francesco Pisano injured.
Udinese had problems too, as Giampiero Pinzi, Raffaele De Martino and African Cup of Nations star Asamoah Gyan were out of action. New signings Marco Storari and former Rimini hitman Jeda made their debuts.
Cagliari had won the last two editions of this fixture and hadn't lost here to Udinese since 1999.
The game took a while to get going and Udinese had the first chance when Simone Pepe fired a Dossena cross into the grateful arms of Storari.
Dossena really should have given the Friulani the lead, but incredibly blasted Pepe's low cross on to the underside of the crossbar from six yards!
However, Udinese were left with 10 men soon after, as Diaz Felipe picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Jeda. Nonetheless, the visitors took the lead two minutes later. Fabio Quagliarella pounced on a Paolo Bianco error to run towards goal and roll an angled drive into the far corner.
Moments later Quagliarella risked a second, as he spun round in the box and thumped the base of the upright. Pepe failed to make the most of Antonio Di Natale's assist, as they seemed to play much better with a man down.
Despite throwing on another striker, Cagliari risked going 2-0 down when Giandomenico Mesto failed to get the ball to the unmarked Quagliarella.
The Sardinians finally had a chance to equalise with Samir Handanovic missing a corner kick, forcing teammate Dossena to perform a goalline clearance on substitute Joaquin Larrivey's header.
Storari used his chest to parry a Quagliarella snapshot, but Cagliari went very close with a Daniele Conti free kick that Handanovic palmed round the near post.
Handanovic needed another fantastic save to deny Cagliari after an accidental Andrea Coda deflection.
In the final minute Larrivey also saw red, as he was booked and then got a second card for sarcastically applauding the referee.
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