In a riveting encounter in the 12th round of Serie A, Cagliari faced Genoa and the match concluded with a dramatic 3-3 draw. Cagliari and Genoa both showcased their offensive potential, with Gennaro Borrelli standing out by scoring twice.
Genoa initially took the lead and extended their advantage during the match. Goals from Vítor Oliveira (18’) and Leo Östigard (40’) seemed to put the visitors in a strong position, with Aarón Martín adding a goal from a free kick in the second half (83’). Cagliari, however, was not to be outdone as they rallied with goals from Borrelli (32’ and 60’) and Sebastiano Esposito (42’).
Borrelli’s performance was exceptional, converting two goals and taking four shots throughout the match, while Östigard’s defensive presence was crucial for Genoa, contributing a goal and clearing three significant threats.
Cagliari’s manager, Fabio Pisacane, implemented a tactical setup of 3-5-2, featuring Elia Caprile as the goalkeeper; Gabriele Zappa, Yerry Mina, and Sebastiano Luperto in defense; and a midfield trio of Mattia Felici, Alessandro Deiola, and Matteo Prati, supporting strikers Esposito and Borrelli.
On the other hand, Genoa’s coach Daniele De Rossi also chose a 3-5-2 formation, led by Nicola Leali in goal. The defense included Alessandro Marcandalli, Östigard, and Johan Vásquez with a midfield comprising Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Aarón Martín, while Vítor Oliveira partnered with Lorenzo Colombo up front.
Referee Federico La Penna oversaw the match, maintaining order throughout the thrilling 90 minutes.
With this draw, Cagliari now sits in 14th place in the league with 11 points, while Genoa finds themselves in 18th with 8 points. In the upcoming fixtures, Cagliari will travel to Juventus, and Genoa will host Hellas Verona.
Substitutions for Cagliari
56’ – Mattia Felici out for Riyad Idrissi; Matteo Prati out for Michel Adopo
70’ – Gennaro Borrelli out for Leonardo Pavoletti; Sebastiano Esposito out for Zito Luvumbo
75’ – Alessandro Deiola out for Gianluca Gaetano
Bookings for Cagliari:
44’ – Alessandro Deiola (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
46’ – Matteo Prati
82’ – Sebastiano Luperto (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
85’ – Yerry Mina (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
Substitutions for Genoa
66’ – Morten Thorsby out for Albert Grönbaek
77’ – Alessandro Marcandalli out for Valentín Carboni; Vítor Oliveira out for Caleb Ekuban
87’ – Ruslan Malinovskyi out for Patrizio Masini; Lorenzo Colombo out for Mikael Ellertsson
Bookings for Genoa:
9’ – Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Unsportsmanlike conduct)
68’ – Albert Grönbaek
Red Card for Genoa:
47’ – Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Second yellow card)