Cagliari 3-2 Atalanta: Paul Mendy Brace, Borrelli Winner Sink La Dea

Mendy scores after 15 seconds as cagliari hold off Atalanta comeback win

Cagliari beat Atalanta 3-2 in Serie A. 19-year-old Paul Mendy scored twice on debut and Gennaro Borrelli netted the winner after Scamacca’s brace.

Teenager Paul Mendy scored twice in 7 minutes before Scamacca leveled and Borrelli won it...

Serie A strugglers Cagliari beat European hopefuls Atalanta 3-2 at Unipol Domus to record back-to-back top-flight home wins for only the second time in two seasons.

The hosts couldn’t have asked for a better start, taking the lead after just 15 seconds when Michel Adopo delivered a cross into the box that Paul Mendy headed home on his first Serie A start.

Mendy and his teammates were in dreamland seven minutes later, as the 19-year-old struck again to double the Isolani’s lead.

Atalanta failed to clear from a corner, and when Alessandro Deiola’s first effort was saved by Marco Carnesecchi, Mendy’s shot on the rebound deflected off an unlucky Berat Djimsiti into the right side of the net.

The visitors were struggling for inspiration in a below-par first half, but against the run of play they got back on level terms in the final five minutes before the break.

  

After sending his right-footed effort from inside the box into the far corner to halve the deficit, Gianluca Scamacca made it a quick-fire brace as he turned in Giorgio Scalvini’s low cross from close range, stunning Cagliari and their supporters.

An injury-hit Mendy missed the chance for a rare debut hat-trick after being withdrawn at half-time, but the change didn’t hurt the hosts. Less than two minutes after the restart, his replacement Gennaro Borrelli pounced on a loose ball from Michael Folorunsho’s blocked shot to restore Cagliari’s lead.

Mendy and Borrelli give Cagliari a big win! 👏#CagliariAtalanta pic.twitter.com/99JVbGvQ51

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 27, 2026

The Isolani had won just one of their previous 10 league games (D2, L7), but they showed renewed confidence to deny any comeback from La Dea. Atalanta’s only real moment in a disappointing second half came eight minutes from time when Nikola Krstović’s first-time shot from inside the box was well saved by Elia Caprile.

 

Paul Mendy scores a brace and picks up the Panini Player of the Match award on his first professional start 👏#CagliariAtalanta pic.twitter.com/4Jj8l5jI7L

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 27, 2026

The result gives Cagliari a healthy eight-point cushion above the relegation zone with four games left, while Atalanta face an uphill task to claim a European spot as they stay seventh, seven points off sixth and the final continental place.