Football Italia
·26 August 2024
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·26 August 2024
Cesc Fabregas’ Como picked up their first Serie A point in 21 years thanks to Patrick Cutrone’s goal after a Roberto Piccoli opener, as Cagliari play another stalemate.
The Sardinians opened their campaign with a draw against Roma and then hosted a Como side in flux, with Raphael Varane, Daniele Baselli and Abildgaard injured. New signings Sergi Roberto, Nico Paz and Maxi Perrone were on the bench.
There was a minute’s silence before kick-off for former Lazio, Sampdoria and Roma coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Andrea Belotti had the ball in the net when clearly offside after just two minutes, while a powerful Alberto Moreno strike was straight at the goalkeeper.
Zito Luvumbo cut inside the defender to smash a daisy-cutter onto the base of the near post, then Gabriel Strefezza’s fierce curler was palmed away.
Cagliari took the lead just before the break, as Sebastiano Luperto nodded on a dinked ball over the top and Federico Barba seemed to have it covered, but Roberto Piccoli still managed to sneak in the header past Pepe Reina.
Maxi Perrone only arrived from Manchester City yesterday, but made his Como debut for the second half.
It proved pivotal, because his pass found Patrick Cutrone for a curler that was deflected wide and on the resulting corner Alberto Dossena nodded it down for Cutrone to come sliding in at the back post. It was Como’s first Serie A goal in 21 years and scored by a hometown boy.
Reina showed brave goalkeeping throwing himself in the path of Piccoli, while Simone Scuffet acrobatically pushed a deflected effort over the bar from Real Madrid youth product Nico Paz.
Reina almost got into a tangle on the ricochet off Federico Barba from his save on Gianluca Lapadula, reaching back to claw it off the line.
The veteran goalkeeper also fumbled the Razvan Marin scorcher, but got it under control before Lapadula could pounce, while Alberto Cerri ballooned over from six yards and was perhaps offside anyway.
Cerri was not offside moments later when sliding onto the Nico Paz cross from the left, turning over from six yards.
Piccoli 44 (Ca), Cutrone 53 (Co)