Hellas Verona got their first win since Week 2 thanks to Cyril Ngonge and Milan Djuric, but Cagliari only capitulated after going down to 10 men.
This was a relegation dogfight, as Hellas were without a win since Week 2, while Marco Davide Faraoni and Suat Serdar out of action. The Sardinians have become known for extraordinary comebacks and last-gasp Leonardo Pavoletti goals, but Eldor Shomurodov, Marko Rog and Elio Capradossi are long-term absentees.
Nahitan Nandez pulled his angled drive across the face of goal and Matteo Prati could not have come closer on 11 minutes when his daisy-cutter from distance was pushed on to the base of the upright by Lorenzo Montipò.
Riccardo Saponara’s back-heel flick was sending Pawel Dawidowicz clear until the crucial Tommaso Augello interception, while Alberto Dossena couldn’t control his flick on a corner at the back post.
Simone Scuffet had to get down for a one-handed save, pushing the Tomas Suslov solo effort past the far stick.
Cagliari had the ball in the net on 38 minutes when Nicolas Viola’s free kick found an Edoardo Goldaniga header, but he was flagged offside.
The game turned with two events in the space of 60 seconds. First Antoine Makoumbou received his second yellow card and reduced Cagliari to 10 men, then Cyril Ngonge cut inside from the right and saw his low angled drive deflected through a sea of legs into the far bottom corner to put Verona in front.
Ondrej Duda’s free kick wasn’t far wide, but Montipò had to get his fingertips to the Hatizdiakos cross-shot.
Scuffet kept his men in it with a flying save to push the Djuric header over the bar on a Josh Doig cross.
However, late on Jordi Mboula ran down the right, cut inside and rolled across for Djuric to sweep in undisturbed with the inside of the right boot.
Verona 2-0 Cagliari
Ngonge 53 (V), Djuric 90 (V)
Sent off: Makoumbou 52 (C)
Player statistic
| 12' |  |
Antoine Makoumbou | ||
| Ondrej Duda | |
45' |
| 52' |  |
Antoine Makoumbou | ||
| Cyril Ngonge (Assist: Jackson Tchatchoua) |
 |
53' | ||
| Tomas Suslov | |
57' | ||
| 57' | |
Nicolas Viola | ||
| Cyril Ngonge | |
69' | ||
| Milan Djuric (Assist: Jordi Mboula) |
|
90' | ||
| 90+3' | |
Ibrahim Sulemana |
Match statistic
