Cagliari has guaranteed their Serie A safety after staging a comeback to defeat Torino 2-1. Rafael Obrador’s spectacular goal was cancelled out by strikes from Sebastiano Esposito and Yerry Mina, securing the vital three points for the Sardinians.
Heading into the match, Cagliari needed just one point to confirm their place in Serie A for the next season, following a previous defeat. They were hampered by several absences due to suspension and injury.
Before kick-off, there was an emotional moment as Cagliari striker Leonardo Pavoletti was honored on the occasion of his retirement.
Torino had early chances, with Giovanni Simeone missing a clear opportunity and being denied by a last-ditch tackle from Yerry Mina. However, Torino took the lead from the resulting corner when Rafael Obrador scored with a powerful, swerving long-range shot into the top corner.
The lead was short-lived, as Cagliari equalized just a minute later. Sebastiano Esposito received the ball, turned, and fired into the far bottom corner.
Cagliari completed their comeback in first-half stoppage time. After a save from the Torino goalkeeper on a Gabriele Zappa effort, Yerry Mina was on hand to bundle the rebound over the line.
In the second half, Elia Caprile made a crucial save with his foot to deny Che Adams an equalizer for Torino.
Match Summary: Cagliari 2-1 Torino
Goals:
- Obrador 38′ (Torino)
- S. Esposito 39′ (Cagliari)
- Mina 45+3′ (Cagliari)
Match Statistics:
Possession:
- Cagliari: 45%
- Torino: 55%
Total Shots:
- Cagliari: 13
- Torino: 10
Shots on Target:
- Cagliari: 4
- Torino: 3
Fouls:
- Cagliari: 8
- Torino: 13
Corners:
- Cagliari: 5
- Torino: 1
Starting Lineups:
Cagliari:
- Goalkeeper: Elia Caprile
- Defenders: Adam Obert, Alberto Dossena, Gabriele Zappa, Marco Palestra, Yerry Mina
- Midfielders: Alessandro Deiola, Gianluca Gaetano, Michel Adopo
- Attackers: Paul Mendy, Sebastiano Esposito
Torino:
- Goalkeeper: Alberto Paleari
- Defenders: Enzo Ebosse, Luca Marianucci, Marcus Pedersen, Rafa Obrador, Saúl Coco
- Midfielders: Emirhan Ilkhan, Matteo Prati, Nikola Vlasic
- Attackers: Duván Zapata, Giovanni Simeone
Substitutions:
Cagliari:
- Paul Mendy was replaced by Andrea Belotti (82′)
- Sebastiano Esposito was replaced by Juan Rodríguez (83′)
- Alessandro Deiola was replaced by Michael Folorunsho (72′)
- Michel Adopo was replaced by Ibrahim Sulemana (72′)
Torino:
- Luca Marianucci was replaced by Guillermo Maripán (46′)
- Duván Zapata was replaced by Cesare Casadei (59′)
- Giovanni Simeone was replaced by Ché Adams (59′)
- Marcus Pedersen was replaced by Alieu Njie (77′)
- Matteo Prati was replaced by Sandro Kulenovic (85′)
- Emirhan Ilkhan was replaced by (85′)