An incredible match in Sardinia sees Cagliari and Genoa share six goals, countless errors, and plenty of drama. Borrelli shines with a brace, but Caprile’s late mistake gifts De Rossi’s men a draw.
Cagliari and Genoa produced one of the wildest games of the Serie A season, trading blows in a frantic 3-3 draw at the Unipol Domus. Both sides rediscovered their attacking instincts but not the composure to seal the win.
Fabio Pisacane and Daniele De Rossi faced off for the first time as coaches, and their teams delivered a chaotic, breathless contest. Genoa struck first in the 18th minute when Vitinha got in behind Zappa to slot home from a Colombo assist. The two swapped roles soon after, but Colombo wasted a golden chance to double the lead — an error punished swiftly when Borrelli’s header from a corner crossed the line despite Leali’s desperate save attempt.
Ostigard restored Genoa’s advantage in the 41st minute with a striker’s finish, volleying in Thorsby’s cross, but Cagliari hit back instantly. Borrelli turned provider, nodding the ball down for Deiola, whose assist found Sebastiano Esposito for a clever close-range flick to make it 2-2.
Early in the second half, Cagliari took the lead for the first time: Zappa’s precise delivery met Borrelli’s powerful header for 3-2 — the forward’s second goal of the night and his best performance of the season. But just as Pisacane’s men seemed set for victory, disaster struck. In the 83rd minute, Martin’s long-range free kick bounced awkwardly in front of Caprile, who misjudged the flight of the ball as it looped over him and into the net.
The match ended 3-3 — a rollercoaster full of goals, blunders, and frustration for both benches. Cagliari remain winless since mid-September, while Genoa’s draw does little to lift them from the lower end of the table.
Match Report
Scorers:
18’ Vitinha (Genoa), 33’ Borrelli (Cagliari), 41’ Ostigard (Genoa), 43’ Esposito (Cagliari), 60’ Borrelli (Cagliari), 83’ Martin (Genoa)
Cagliari (3-5-2):
Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Palestra, Deiola (76′ Gaetano), Prati (57′ Adopo), Folorunsho, Felici (57′ Idrissi); Borrelli (70′ Pavoletti), Esposito (71′ Luvumbo).
Coach: Pisacane.
Genoa (3-5-2):
Leali; Marcandalli (78′ Carboni), Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Malinovskyi (88′ Masini), Frendrup, Thorsby (66′ Gronbaek), Martin; Vitinha (76′ Ekuban), Colombo (88′ Ellertsson).
Coach: De Rossi.
Referee: La Penna (Rome)
Yellow cards: Deiola, Prati, Gronbaek, Luperto, Mina
Red cards: Norton-Cuffy (Genoa, 90’+3, second yellow)
