“Paul Mendy headed Cagliari into a shock lead inside the opening minute, converting a fast break with a header from the center of the box to stun the visiting Atalanta side before they had even settled.”
Pivotal“Mendy doubled Cagliari's lead from close range after a corner, tucking a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner following Alessandro Deiola's saved effort to put the hosts in dreamland.”
Pivotal“Gianluca Scamacca completed a stunning personal brace by converting a set-piece in first-half injury time, levelling the match at 2-2 and appearing to swing all the momentum in Atalanta's favour heading into the break.”
Pivotal“Substitute Gennaro Borrelli, on the pitch for barely two minutes after replacing the injured Mendy at half-time, drove a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner to restore Cagliari's lead and ultimately win the match — one of the most impactful cameos of the Serie A season.”
Pivotal
Cagliari
Atalanta
Outstanding performance
Atalanta•AttackerCagliari pulled off a remarkable result against a vastly superior Atalanta side, winning 3-2 despite being outpossessed 73-27 and outshot across the board. The hosts set their stall out early and ruthlessly, with Paul Mendy exploiting Atalanta's slow start to score twice inside eight minutes — a header on the break and a predatory finish from a corner rebound. Atalanta, as their 745 completed passes and 46 dangerous attacks suggest, controlled virtually everything thereafter, and Gianluca Scamacca hauled them level with two goals in five first-half minutes, the second a set-piece finish in injury time that looked to have stolen the momentum entirely. But Cagliari's response was breathtaking: substitute Gennaro Borrelli, on for the injured Mendy just before half-time, needed barely 60 seconds of the second half to restore his side's lead, drilling a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner that proved to be the winner. For Atalanta, the defeat is a painful blow to their Champions League qualification push — their dominance in every statistical category counted for nothing against Cagliari's clinical opportunism and one extraordinary individual cameo from the bench.
How entertaining was this match?
Atalanta wins a corner after Adam Obert concedes.
The fourth official has indicated there will be 6 minutes of added time.
Gianluca Scamacca from Atalanta misses a header from the center of the box, sending it to the left. Lazar Samardzic provided the assist with a cross after a corner.
Atalanta win a corner, conceded by Elia Caprile.
Atalanta wins a corner after Elia Caprile concedes.
Foul by Giacomo Raspadori of Atalanta.
Gianluca Gaetano from Cagliari is awarded a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Giacomo Raspadori from Atalanta has his right-footed shot from outside the box saved.
Atalanta is awarded a corner after Elia Caprile concedes.
Attempt saved. Nikola Krstovic from Atalanta has his right-footed shot from the center of the box saved in the bottom left corner by Elia Caprile from Cagliari, with an assist from Éderson.
Mario Pasalic from Atalanta misses a right-footed shot from the center of the box, sending it to the left. He was assisted by Odilon Kossounou, who provided a headed pass after a set piece situation.
Foul committed by Zé Pedro of Cagliari.
Giacomo Raspadori from Atalanta wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution for Cagliari: Andrea Belotti comes on for Gennaro Borrelli due to an injury.
Substitution for Atalanta: Lazar Samardzic comes on for Charles De Ketelaere.
Atalanta earn a corner after Yerry Mina concedes.
Substitution for Atalanta: Éderson comes on for Marten de Roon.
Substitution for Atalanta: Odilon Kossounou comes on for Sead Kolasinac.
Substitution for Cagliari: Alberto Dossena comes on for Juan Rodríguez due to an injury.
The match is delayed due to an injury to Juan Rodríguez from Cagliari.
Atalanta wins a corner after Yerry Mina concedes.
Atalanta wins a corner after Juan Rodríguez concedes.
Cagliari wins a corner after Berat Djimsiti concedes.
Foul committed by Berat Djimsiti of Atalanta.
Gennaro Borrelli from Cagliari is awarded a free kick in the defensive half.
Gennaro Borrelli from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Michel Adopo's right-footed shot from the center of the box is blocked.
Gianluca Gaetano from Cagliari wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nikola Krstovic of Atalanta.
Nicola Zalewski from Atalanta wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul committed by Marco Palestra of Cagliari.
Substitution for Atalanta: Nikola Krstovic comes on for Raoul Bellanova.
Substitution for Atalanta: Nicola Zalewski comes on for Davide Zappacosta.
Substitution for Cagliari: Marco Palestra comes on for Sebastiano Esposito.
Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta wins a free kick on the left wing.
Zé Pedro from Cagliari misses the attempt with a right-footed shot from the center of the box, sending it high and wide to the right. Adam Obert provided the assist with a cross after a corner.
Cagliari wins a corner after Berat Djimsiti concedes.
Cagliari wins a corner after Raoul Bellanova concedes.
Foul committed by Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta.
Sebastiano Esposito from Cagliari wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal! Gennaro Borrelli scores for Cagliari with a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. The score is now Cagliari 3, Atalanta 2.
Goal! Gennaro Borrelli scores for Cagliari with a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. The score is now Cagliari 3, Atalanta 2.
Substitution for Cagliari: Gennaro Borrelli comes on for Paul Mendy due to an injury.
The second half begins with the match tied at 2-2 between Cagliari and Atalanta.
The first half ends with the score at Cagliari 2, Atalanta 2.
The match is delayed due to an injury to Paul Mendy of Cagliari.
Foul committed by Paul Mendy of Cagliari.
Sead Kolasinac wins a free kick for Atalanta in the defensive half.
Foul committed by Giorgio Scalvini of Atalanta.
Zé Pedro from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
The fourth official has indicated there will be 5 minutes of added time.
assist: Giorgio Scalvini
Goal! Gianluca Scamacca scores for Atalanta with a right-footed shot from the center of the box after a set piece. The match is now 2-2.
Foul committed by Paul Mendy of Cagliari.
Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal! Gianluca Scamacca scores for Atalanta with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner. The score is now Cagliari 2, Atalanta 1.
Charles De Ketelaere's left-footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Gianluca Scamacca provided the assist.
Michel Adopo from Cagliari wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul committed by Giacomo Raspadori of Atalanta.
Sebastiano Esposito from Cagliari misses a right-footed shot from outside the box to the left, assisted by Michel Adopo.
Foul committed by Sead Kolasinac against Atalanta.
Sebastiano Esposito from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta is caught offside.
Atalanta is called offside. Davide Zappacosta is the player caught offside.
Foul committed by Adam Obert of Cagliari.
Raoul Bellanova from Atalanta wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Sead Kolasinac against Atalanta.
Sebastiano Esposito from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul committed by Yerry Mina of Cagliari.
Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Adam Obert from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sead Kolasinac against Atalanta.
Berat Djimsiti from Atalanta misses an attempt, heading the ball too high from very close range after a set piece situation.
Foul committed by Alessandro Deiola of Cagliari.
Charles De Ketelaere from Atalanta wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul committed by Marten de Roon of Atalanta.
Michael Folorunsho from Cagliari wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Raoul Bellanova from Atalanta wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul committed by Michael Folorunsho of Cagliari.
Foul committed by Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta.
Yerry Mina from Cagliari wins a free kick in the defensive half.
The match is delayed due to an injury to Yerry Mina of Cagliari.
Goal! Cagliari leads Atalanta 2-0. Paul Mendy scores for Cagliari with a left-footed shot from very close range into the bottom right corner after a corner.
Alessandro Deiola's right-footed shot from the center of the box is saved by Marco Carnesecchi in the center of the goal.
Cagliari is called offside. Paul Mendy is the player caught in an offside position.
The match is delayed due to an injury to Davide Zappacosta from Atalanta.
assist: Michel Adopo
Goal! Cagliari leads 1-0 against Atalanta. Paul Mendy scores for Cagliari with a header from the center of the box after a fast break.
