Cagliari, high jump: beats Spal 2-1 and secures fifth place

A somewhat romantic match, with maestro Ranieri against his pupil De Rossi and his friend Nainggolan – ex Roma and Cagliari, Spal’s betrothed – an interested spectator. Which ends with Cagliari’s victory: at the Unipol Domus the rossoblùs beat Spal 2-1 thanks to the decisive goal from Lapadula, who with his first center of his 2023 sends Cagliari to 5th place. While waiting for tomorrow’s matches, the team led by the former Roma captain remains +1 on the play-out area.

THE CHOICES

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Claudio Ranieri, in his third position on the Cagliari bench, confirms the now classic 3-5-2 with Altare in front of Radunovic, Nandez at full range and Luvumbo as Lapadula’s attacking partner. In the mirror the pupil De Rossi, with a 3-4-2-1 with Valzania and Rauti in support of the attacker Moncini but often behind to form a five-man midfield line, together with Zanellato and the baby Prati in the middle and with Dickmann and Celia on the outlanes.

THE MATCH

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The start was immediately lively: in the 12th minute De Rossi was forced to make his first substitution due to an injury to Valzania, in his place he went to Murgia and basically little changed on the pitch, if not the score a few seconds later. At the stroke of the quarter of an hour Altare unlocks the score: ball in the Spal penalty area, zone marking of the dormant defense which allows the rossoblù centre-back to hit hard with his head for the 1-0. Cagliari tries to take advantage of the wave, Lapadula tries several times to make contact in the opponent’s area but the referee Paterna is good at not falling for it. The opportunity for an equalizer arrives just after the half hour: an illuminating ball from the 2003 Prati class for Murgia who lacks the control that would have paved the way for an equalizer. Which arrives anyway, in the 42nd minute: another wonderful throw from Prati, it impacts Celia and makes it 1-1. The second half opens with a substitution on each side, and in the 63rd minute Cagliari sees their lead cancelled: crazy mess by guest goalkeeper Alfonso and clumsy own goal, but the fourth official saves him (on the cross that led to the goal, the ball had crossed the bottom line). Shortly after, another goal disallowed, again against Cagliari: ball inside Luvumbo spat out by the host defence, Altare collects and kicks finding a sensational brace. However, the Var recognizes a foul by Lapadula and Paterna, after reviewing, cancels. Cagliari pushes in search of the advantage, which arrives regularly in the 76th minute: a cross from Anzi, Lapadula takes advantage of a rebound and scores the 2-1. In the end, a monumental intervention by Dossena cancels Meccariello’s draw, then Maistro is expelled for protests. Cagliari returns to hope for promotion, Spal is still in quicksand.