In a thrilling Serie A encounter, Cagliari mounted an impressive comeback to defeat Lecce 4-1, capitalizing on Ante Rebic’s red card and surging up the league table.
The match began with both teams missing key players due to injuries. Cagliari welcomed back Yerry Mina but were still without Zito Luvumbo, while Lecce’s squad was depleted by several absences.
After a tense first half with chances for both sides, Lecce took the lead just before halftime. Santiago Pierotti expertly finished a well-worked move, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage at the break.
The game’s turning point came early in the second half. Gianluca Gaetano, a halftime substitute, equalized for Cagliari with a powerful shot into the roof of the net, marking his first goal of the season. This sparked a remarkable turnaround for the home side.
Cagliari then took the lead through an unusual goal, as Sebastiano Luperto inadvertently deflected a Razvan Marin corner into his own net. The situation worsened for Lecce when Ante Rebic, who had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes, received a straight red card for stamping on Yerry Mina’s arm.
Taking full advantage of their numerical superiority, Cagliari extended their lead. Nadir Zortea added a third with a looping header, before Adam Obert scored a spectacular fourth, curling a left-footed shot into the top corner for his first Serie A goal.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for Cagliari, who have now taken seven points from their last three matches, including a win over Monza and a draw against AC Milan.
Goals: Pierotti 42 (L), Gaetano 60 (C), Luperto 65 (C), Zortea 80 (C), Obert 83 (C)
Cagliari (4-2-3-1): Caprile; Zappa, Luperto, Mina, Obert; Makoumbou (54′ Marin), Adopo (54′ Deiola); Zortea (87′ Pavoletti), Viola (54′ Gaetano), Felici (74′ Augello); Piccoli
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Dorgu; Helgason (63′ Ramadani), Pierret, Coulibaly (77′ Karlsson); Pierotti (56′ Bonifazi), Krstovic (63′ Rebic), Morente (77′ Burnete).
