MATCH REPORT | Cagliari-Lecce 4-1
A 4-1 victory for the rossoblù against Lecce, coming from behind with four goals, all in the second half. A thrilling second half full of goals and excitement.
THE CHOICES
Nicola sticks with the same lineup seen in Milan, with Mina returning to replace Palomino in the now familiar 4-4-1-1 formation.
CAGLIARI IN CONTROL, BUT LECCE SCORES
The game starts with a rossoblù dominance, and throughout the first half, Cagliari holds the upper hand but lacks the final touch. In the 12th minute, Zappa delivers a cross, and Falcone denies Felici the chance to score. In the 19th minute, Adopo takes a shot, and Falcone makes a diving save. Lecce responds in the 32nd minute, with Caprile diving to block a shot from Kristovic. A big chance comes in the 34th minute with Piccoli’s header, but Kristovic clears the ball off the line. From the rebound, Luperto attempts an acrobatic backheel, but the ball goes just over the bar. A sting in the tail at the 42nd minute, after Viola’s goal was disallowed for offside: Pierotti follows up on a deflected cross from Tete Morente and scores. The teams head into the break with Cagliari feeling frustrated.
GAETANO BREAKS HIS DROUGHT
The second half begins with Cagliari on the attack. Nicola, just a few minutes in, makes substitutions, bringing on Deiola, Gaetano, and Marin. In the 60th minute, Deiola plays a brilliant ball for Gaetano, who controls it in the box and unleashes a powerful right-footed shot to score. Cagliari continues to dominate and push forward. In the 65th minute, it’s 2-1 after a miraculous save by Falcone on a long-range shot by Deiola: from the resulting corner, Luperto heads in the go-ahead goal amidst the chaos of the Unipol Domus crowd.
Key moment at the 73rd minute when Mina and Rebic race for the ball. The Colombian falls to the ground, and the Croatian steps on his arm: yellow card, but after a VAR review, it turns into a red. Nicola makes a substitution, bringing on Augello for Felici.
And the explosion comes in the 80th minute: a perfect cross from Augello, a header from Zortea at the far post, a top-level move that delivers intense emotions.
Goalfest in the 83rd minute: a magical curled shot from Obert inside the box, a gem of the highest quality for the fourth goal, capping off a tremendous second half from Cagliari.
The final whistle brings jubilation for a crucial victory in both the standings and in the team’s ongoing technical and character development. On Friday evening, the team returns to action at 20:45, away to Torino.
