In their Serie A opener, Fiorentina went ahead with a header from Mandragora, but Cagliari fought back and equalized with Luperto in the 94th minute.
The new Serie A season kicked off with drama at the Unipol Domus. Fiorentina, led by Pioli and fresh off a European fixture, seemed to have sealed the win with Mandragora’s powerful header in the 68th minute. But Fabio Pisacane, making his debut as a Serie A manager, saw his Cagliari side rewarded for their persistence in stoppage time.
The home team started with greater energy, with Esposito and Folorunsho proving lively in the final third, but they couldn’t break through, partly thanks to key saves from De Gea. In the second half, after Fiorentina’s breakthrough, the Spanish goalkeeper produced two crucial stops on Gaetano and Luvumbo, only to falter at the very end: in the 94th minute, Luperto rose highest to meet Gaetano’s cross and headed home the equalizer, sending the crowd into celebration.
Both teams leave with one point and different reflections: Fiorentina must find more sharpness in the league after their European commitments, while Cagliari can take confidence from their character and resilience.
MATCH REPORT: CAGLIARI 1-1 FIORENTINA
Scorers: 68’ Mandragora (F), 90+4’ Luperto (C)
CAGLIARI (4-3-2-1): Caprile 6; Deiola 6 (75’ Gaetano 6.5), Mina 6, Luperto 7, Zappa 6; Adopo 6, Prati 6 (61’ Mazzitelli 6), Folorunsho 6.5; Obert 6, Esposito 6.5 (61’ Luvumbo 6); Borrelli 5.5 (81’ Kilicsoy N/A).
Coach: Pisacane
FIORENTINA (3-4-2-1): De Gea 6.5; Comuzzo 6 (62’ Marì 6), Pongracic 6, Ranieri 5.5 (46’ Viti 6); Dodo 6, Sohm 5.5, Fagioli 6, Gosens 6.5 (77’ Parisi N/A); Ndour 5.5 (46’ Mandragora 7), Gudmundsson 6.5 (72’ Fazzini 6); Kean 6.
Coach: Pioli
Referee: Sozza
Booked: Obert (C), Borrelli (C), Pongracic (F), Marì (F), Mazzitelli (F), Kilicsoy (C)
Sent off: –
