Spezia ended their dismal run of results with a potentially decisive victory in the relegation fight, as Cagliari capitulated to Martin Erlic and Rey Manaj goals, despite a saved Daniele Verde penalty.
This was a big relegation dogfight, as the teams were separated by only one point, hovering director above the bottom three. Spezia were coming off four consecutive defeats and had Leo Sena and Jacopo Sala injured, but Kelvin Amian and Jakub Kiwior returned from bans. The Sardinians saw their five-match unbeaten run ended by a 3-0 defeat to Lazio. Nahitan Nandez, Kevin Strootman, Marko Rog and Sebastian Walukiewicz were still out of action.
Daniele Verde tried to curl in directly from the corner flag and it was going in at the near post, if not for a desperate Alessio Cragno save.
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The referee awarded a penalty when Martin Erlic and Dalbert both went in with a high boot for the same loose ball, the decision going the way of Spezia. It was a debatable decision and did not count, because the weak and central Verde penalty was parried by Alessio Cragno.
Cragno continued his heroics with saves on a Kiwior header and Kevin Agudelo strike, while Alberto Grassi skimmed the upright for Cagliari.
Spezia did take the lead when another in-swinging Verde corner found Erlic for a tap-in from point-blank range. Cagliari were furious, as they felt it wasn’t a corner to begin with, but it was the ninth goal they have conceded from a corner this season.
Giorgio Altare made a decisive interception to stop Verde tapping in the Simone Bastoni cross, then Verde again tried to curl in from the corner flag, finding another Cragno save.
Spezia doubled their lead with substitute Rey Manaj, who pounced on a deflected Viktor Kovalenko cross, took a touch to send two defenders to ground and then drilled in from 12 yards.
Spezia 2-0 Cagliari
Erlic 55 (S), Manaj 74 (S)
Saved penalty: Verde 35 (S)