MATCH REPORT | Cagliari-Pisa 2-2

A comeback equaliser and then a slap in the face for the Rossoblù, who couldn’t get past a 2-2 draw at home to Pisa. Trailing at the end of the first half, Cagliari pushed forward in the second half, but were caught at the death.

THE CHOICES
Pisacane opts for Kilicsoy up front due to the poor condition of Borrelli and Pavoletti. Gaetano and Esposito also start up front. Deiola will be in the middle with Folorunsho and Adopo, while Mina returns to the starting lineup alongside Rodriguez. In front of Caprile, Palestra and Obert will be full-backs.

FIRST HALF
The first scare came in the 3rd minute, with a rebound between Caprile’s save and Obert’s tap-in for a corner, following a free kick. Pisa started better, but in the 7th minute Cagliari showed excellent play, maneuvering until Palestra dribbled into the box but was blocked. In the 11th minute, Caprile and Esposito counterattacked. The Neapolitan was stopped, but the ball went to Gaetano, who controlled it and curled it just wide. Danger arose in the 17th minute on a deep ball, but Obert mistimed the save, and Pisa took off: Tramoni was hypnotized by Caprile’s foot, but the Rossoblu defense took a serious risk. There was also a scare in the 23rd minute when a scramble in the box saw the ball go just wide in a dramatic fashion.

That’s how it gets to the 33rd minute when Meister receives a long ball and allows Piccinini to shoot, but the ball goes high. Adopo responds from outside, right-footed. Kilicsoy responds, with the same outcome. But the chance is good in the 41st minute when he receives the ball after the move and turns in the nick of time: a right-footed shot just wide of the far post.

Penalty kick for Pisa in the 44th minute at the hands of Adopo: Tramoni makes no mistake, goal from the former player and it’s 1-0 for Tuscany at the end of the first half.

SECOND HALF
Cagliari returns to the field with Idrissi replacing Obert. In the 49th minute, Cagliari goes 4-on-2 on the counterattack, but Esposito kicks instead of passing to two better-positioned teammates, and the ball goes high. Adopo is booked in the 51st minute for a foul in midfield. A real battle ensues in the pouring rain, with Mina booked in the 53rd minute for a foul on Tramoni. Zappa is substituted in the 55th minute for Adopo.

Folorunsho equalized in the 59th minute: Zappa’s cross to the far post, Folorunsho’s header, which then hit the post on the run, leaving him with pain in his right knee. The stadium erupts, the match is tied again!

Folorunsho can’t keep up, so Mazzitelli comes on. The game reaches the 71st minute, and Kilicsoy sets the stadium ablaze: a calm maneuver, the ball to the Turk, who turns and fires unstoppably with his right foot, 2-1.

The pressure in the rain was relentless, and Mazzitelli nearly scored a third on the counterattack, but his right-footed shot was deflected out for a corner by Semper. Pisa replaced Vural, Calabresi, and Moreo with Hojolt, Bonfanti, and Piccinini.

Caprile scored a brilliant save in the 76th minute from Touré on a Pisa counterattack. The match became increasingly intense, with numerous changes in the attacking lineup. Esposito was also booked in the 80th minute, while Gilardino replaced Tramoni and Touré with Lorran and Leris in the 82nd minute. Kilicsoy received a standing ovation in the 83rd minute, and Borrelli came on, with Cavuoti replacing Gaetano.

Lorran immediately threatened with a diagonal shot into the box, but the ball went just wide. Pisa tied the score in the 89th minute with Moreo, who cut well into the box and slotted home a diagonal shot to make it 2-2. That would also be the final score.