Five goals, two penalties, two red cards and a host of interesting refereeing decisions made this an entertaining, if not flowing game of football which Juve will count themselves extremely lucky to have taken all three points from after being second best for most of the game.

The visitors twice went ahead through David Trezeguet and Alessandro del Piero but were pegged back both times by Pasquale Foggia's penalties, the second earning former Cagliari defender Jonathan Zebina a red card on his return to the Stadio San Elia.

The Rossoblu did not have a man advantage for long, though, as Cristiano del Grosso soon followed Zebina down the tunnel and shortly after that Chiellini grabbed the winner.

The hosts had completely dominated play in the first half and twice almost opened the scoring inside 16 minutes, Foggia's free-kick and Joaquin Larrivey's shot both going narrowly wide.

Larrivey headed over on the half-hour mark and not until first-half injury time did the Bianconeri register a shot, Paolo Bianco's error giving Del Piero a chance which the veteran striker should have put away.

In the 54th minute, Chiellini put in a great cross to the far post, where Mauro Camoranesi flicked the ball on to the unmarked Trezeguet two yards out and the Frenchman did the rest.

Just two minutes later, Cagliari equalised as half-time substitute Nicola Legrottaglie pulled down Alessandro Matri inside the box, and though Gianluigi Buffon got a strong hand to Foggia's penalty, it bounced unkindly over the line.

Thirteen minutes after that another incident in the area sparked the powder keg of a match alight as a great run by Conti ended with Chiellini bringing the Cagliari midfielder down.

The referee initially seemed to point to the spot, but his assistant correctly observed that Chiellini had won the ball and advised his colleague to instead award a corner - a decision Chiellini was still incensed about as he felt Conti dived.

Buffon's best efforts could not calm the talented full-back and two minutes later he still seemed distracted as he was fooled by a cross across the face of goal which found Bianco unmarked, but his volley was somehow blocked by Buffon.

And five minutes later Juve took an undeserved lead. Cagliari keeper Marco Fortin came off his line to collect a long ball from Sergio Almiron, but completely misjudged the flight and Camoranesi lifted the ball over his head, Del Piero slamming it into the roof of the net.

Ten minutes from time the referee awarded a second penalty, this one much less clear-cut after Zebina's tug on Larrivey.

Foggia went the same way from the spot but Buffon went the other, and there was further fall-out for Juve as Zebina was given his marching orders - an altercation and a raised hand to a member of the groundstaff on the way off likely to have repercussions.

If that sending-off was harsh, the one that followed smacked of the referee trying to make a right from two wrongs.

A seemingly innocuous challenge from Del Grosso on Camoranesi earned the former a second booking to make it 10 versus 10.

Just when it seemed the referee's troubled afternoon was over, he awarded a free-kick despite Bianco appearing to win the ball from Del Piero, and from the resultant free-kick Chiellini ghosted in at the far post to send the travelling fans into raptures.