Cagliari took a big step towards securing their Serie A safety with this surprisingly hard-fought win over Salernitana, as Eldor Shomurodov bagged a brace.
The Sardinians dragged themselves out of the bottom two with a win away to Empoli, but missed Leonardo Pavoletti, Andrea Petagna, Zito Luvumbo, Ibrahim Sulemana and Marco Mancosu. Salernitana remained rock bottom, but at least managed a point against Udinese. Jerome Boateng, Norbert Gyomber and Niccolò Pierozzi were unavailable, with Lorenzo Pirola only fit for the bench. Boulaye Dia has been frozen out after refusing to come on as a substitute.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Cagliari took the lead with a sensational Gianluca Lapadula solo effort. He sprung the offside trap on a Gabriele Zappa ball over the top – as confirmed by VAR after initially being flagged – dribbled around Guillermo Ochoa, sent Kostas Manolas to ground too with a cut-back and deposited into the empty net.
Jakub Jankto was fortunate the offside flag saved his blushes soon after when blasting wide one-on-one with Ochoa, while Loum Tchaouna stung Simone Scuffet’s gloves.
Manolas made a decisive interception to stop Gianluca Gaetano nodding in from six yards, while Gaetano had his angled drive goal disallowed for an offside position.
Gaetano did get his goal moments later, because a Salernitana corner was cleared, Nahitan Nandez started the run from inside his own penalty area, spread it down the left for Gaetano, who cut inside Alessandro Zanoli and swept right-footed into the far bottom corner.
Shon Weissman’s header skimmed the upright from a corner, but Cagliari added a third with substitute Eldor Shomurodov. Tommaso Augello intercepted a wayward Federico Fazio midfield pass to spark the counter-attack, then Ochoa only slowed down the initial Shomurodov effort, allowing the striker to make sure practically on the line.
With the game seemingly over, Salernitana woke up. Grigoris Kastanos came sliding on to the Alessandro Zanoli cross from the right, anticipating Yerry Mina.
Moments later, it was 3-2, as Antonio Candreva’s corner found Giulio Maggiore to nod in from close range.
Simone Scuffet had to flap a dangerous Kastanos cross-shot away, but after some nervous moments, Cagliari restored their two-goal cushion.
Fazio’s clearance was hit against Shomurodov, who ran towards goal and saw his lob initially parried by Ochoa, but again was ready to pounce on the rebound.
Azzi and Shomurodov had a double opportunity kept out by some desperate defending, while Ochoa stopped Nicolas Viola curling in directly from the corner flag.
Cagliari 4-2 Salernitana
Lapadula 12 (C), Gaetano 40 (C), Shomurodov 51, 76 (C), Kastanos 56 (S), Maggiore 58 (S)
Player statistic
| Gianluca Lapadula (Assist: Gabriele Zappa) |
 |
12' | ||
| Gianluca Gaetano (Assist: Nahitan Nández) |
|
38' |
| Eldor Shomurodov | |
51' | ||
| 56' | |
Grigoris Kastanos (Assist: Alessandro Zanoli) | ||
| 58' | |
Giulio Maggiore (Assist: Antonio Candreva) | ||
| Tommaso Augello |  |
70' | ||
| 73' | |
Grigoris Kastanos | ||
| Eldor Shomurodov | |
76' | ||
| 85' | |
Junior Sambia |
Match statistic
