Cagliari Capitalize on Lecce's Misfortune to Claim Convincing Win

Cagliari came from behind to thrash 10-man Lecce 4-1, capitalizing on Ante Rebic's red card and scoring three goals in the second half to claim a convincing victory.

Cagliari staged a remarkable comeback to thrash 10-man Lecce, surging up the standings in the process. The turning point came when Ante Rebic received a red card for stamping on Yerry Mina, leaving Lecce to face the majority of the match with a numerical disadvantage. Mina had recently returned from injury, bolstering Cagliari's lineup.

The visitors, Lecce, were severely depleted due to a lengthy absentee list, which included Antonino Gallo, Lameck Banda, Medon Berisha, Hamza Rafia, and Kialonda Gaspar. Despite this, Lecce initially held their own, with Frederic Guilbert making a crucial intervention to prevent Mattia Felici from scoring. Wladimiro Falcone also made a key save to deny Michel Adopo's effort.

Cagliari's goalkeeper, Elia Caprile, was called upon to make a fine save when Nikola Krstovic turned Yerry Mina and unleashed a shot from 12 yards. However, the hosts soon created a significant scoring opportunity. On 34 minutes, Cagliari had a double chance to take the lead, setting the stage for their eventual comeback.

In a thrilling sequence of events, Cagliari came close to scoring on two occasions. First, Nikola Krstovic showcased his defensive prowess with a goal-line clearance, heading away Roberto Piccoli's looping header from a corner. The move continued, and Sebastiano Luperto's acrobatic effort narrowly missed the target, landing on the roof of the net.

Cagliari thought they had taken the lead on 41 minutes, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. Leonardo Viola had fired in a half-volley after letting a long ball bounce, but the linesman's flag denied him the goal. Moments later, Lecce capitalized on the opportunity to take the lead. Tete Morente received a pass from Patrick Dorgu, pulled the ball back for Santiago Pierotti, who swept it in first time with his left boot from the edge of the area.

Lecce had a golden opportunity to double their lead within 60 seconds of the restart, but Krstovic failed to capitalize, hitting a fresh-air shot on Thorir Helgason's roll across from the right. Cagliari, however, drew level through a combination of their half-time substitutes. Gianluca Gaetano surged forward, received a clever back-heel pass from Alessandro Deiola, and blasted the ball into the roof of the net from a tricky angle. This goal marked Gaetano's first of the season.

Gianluca Gaetano's equalizing goal sparked a surge from the hosts, Cagliari. The momentum shift was evident as Wladimiro Falcone made an incredible save to deny Leonardo Viola's dipping long-range strike. The resulting corner led to Sebastiano Luperto deflecting Razvan Marin's set play in off his back, putting Cagliari in the lead.

What a second half for Cagliari! 😮‍💨#CagliariLecce pic.twitter.com/meSeDPORsa

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 19, 2025

The situation quickly deteriorated for Lecce, as Ante Rebic's reckless behavior earned him a straight red card. Rebic, who had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes, was caught on camera stamping on Yerry Mina's bicep as the defender lay on the ground. This dismissal left Lecce with 10 men and vulnerable to Cagliari's attacks.

Cagliari capitalized on their numerical advantage, scoring two more goals to seal the win. Tommaso Augello's shot skimmed the upright, but he made amends by providing a cross that found Nadir Zortea, who scored with a looping header to make it 3-1. Adam Obert then scored his first-ever Serie A goal with a sensational left-foot curler into the far top corner, as Cagliari ran riot against the depleted Lecce team.