Serie A: Roberto Piccoli's Stunning Strike Lifts Cagliari Past Monza

Monza's relegation struggles intensified with a 2-1 defeat to Cagliari, who came from behind to win despite a late scare.

Cagliari secured a crucial victory in the relegation battle, coming from behind to win away to Monza, who imploded even before Danilo D'Ambrosio's contentious red card. This match was a basement battle between the bottom two teams in the league, with the outcome potentially having a significant impact on their respective survival hopes.

Monza went into the match under the guidance of new coach Salvatore Bocchetti, following a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Parma in their previous outing. The hosts were forced to make do without the suspended Pablo Mari, who had been sent off in the Parma match, as well as several injured players, including Georgios Kyriakopoulos, Matteo Pessina, Roberto Gagliardini, and Alessio Cragno. Meanwhile, Cagliari were without Zito Luvumbo and Jakub Jankto, and were looking to arrest a run of four consecutive defeats.

The match got off to a frantic start, with Cagliari creating a clear scoring opportunity within the first 90 seconds. A corner was flicked on to the back post, where Mattia Felici acrobatically volleyed the ball onto the woodwork, setting the tone for a tense and closely contested encounter.

The early pressure from Cagliari continued to mount, and they were soon awarded a penalty after a VAR review. The decision was made after Patrick Ciurria's shot from six yards out was deflected by Antoine Makoumbou's fingertips, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Gianluca Caprari stepped up to take the penalty and made no mistake, drilling the ball into the near bottom corner with precision and power. Simone Scuffet in the Cagliari goal got close, but was unable to prevent the ball from finding the back of the net, giving Monza the lead.

Cagliari goalkeeper Stefano Turati was called into action soon after, producing a spectacular diving save to palm away a curling effort from Nicolas Viola. However, Turati was powerless to prevent the equalizer, as Nadir Zortea unleashed a stunning left-footed shot from outside the box that flew into the net, drawing Cagliari level.

The momentum of the match shifted decisively in Cagliari's favor when Michel Adopo won the ball back in midfield, sparking a swift counter-attack led by Adam Obert. The move culminated in a devastating right-footed strike from Roberto Piccoli, who unleashed a ferocious shot into the near top corner, giving Cagliari the lead.

As the match intensified, Nicolas Viola's angled drive flashed narrowly wide, while Pedro Pereira embarked on a daring solo run, surging through the heart of Monza's defense before testing Simone Scuffet in a one-on-one situation. Despite Monza's efforts to respond, their task became even more daunting when Danilo D'Ambrosio's reckless challenge on Yerry Mina earned him a straight red card.

D'Ambrosio's dismissal was the result of a moment of madness, as he unnecessarily stuck out a boot into Mina's crotch during a tangle at the touchline. After a VAR review, the referee deemed the challenge a voluntary action and showed D'Ambrosio the red card, leaving Monza to face the final stages of the match with a numerical disadvantage.

In the dying moments of the match, Gianluca Lapadula nearly added a third goal for Cagliari, unleashing an angled drive that bounced off the inside of the far post, narrowly missing the target.

Despite being down to 10 men, Monza almost managed to snatch an equalizer in a stunning turn of events. Samuele Birindelli's attempted cross turned into an unintended shot, forcing the Cagliari goalkeeper to make a desperate fingertip save, tipping the ball over the bar to preserve his team's lead.