Bari rattled the woodwork and were minutes away from promotion to Serie A after a 12-year absence when Leonardo Pavoletti snatched it for Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari instead.
The first leg ended 1-1 with a last-gasp Mirco Antenucci penalty, so as Bari finished the season higher up the table, they’d be promoted if the score was tied on aggregate. The Sardinians simply had to win under coach Claudio Ranieri at a packed out Stadio San Nicola, with over 58,000 present and when the team bus arrived, it did a lap of the athletics track around the pitch. Nahitan Nandez was out for the Sardinians.
Cagliari had to be aggressive from the start, Dossena’s header parried and Alessandro Deiola flashing the ball across the face of goal with nobody ready to tap in.
Zito Luvumbo also tested Elia Caprile from the edge of the box, while his deflected cross off Mattia Maita clipped the top of the crossbar.
Caprile made a stunning fingertip save to push Alessandro Di Pardo’s header round the far post, but Giacomo Ricci came on at the break and immediately hit the side-netting after springing the offside trap.
Antoine Makoumbou stung Caprile’s gloves and the goalkeeper was also alert on another Alberto Dossena header, while Damir Ceter only lasted 15 minutes before going off injured for Bari.
Michael Folorunsho thought he had sealed it for Bari with a scorcher at the 84th minute that beat Boris Radunovic only to smash against the frame of the goal.
Instead, at the 94th minute Gabriele Zappa whipped a ball to the back post and substitute Leonardo Pavoletti got in front of Zuzek to volley in from point-blank range. With that goal, Cagliari were suddenly promoted 2-1 on aggregate.
There was another scare with the last kick of the game, as Radunovic ran off his line and failed to get the ball, but Folorunsho had no support on his pull-back. At the final whistle, Ranieri burst into tears, having returned after all these years to bring his beloved Cagliari back to the top flight.
Bari 0-1 Cagliari (1-2 agg)
Pavoletti 94 (C)
Player statistic
| Mehdi Dorval |  |
59' | ||
| Mattia Maita | |
67' | ||
| 67' | |
Zito Luvumbo | ||
| Leonardo Benedetti | |
74' | ||
| 90' | |
Alessandro Deiola | ||
| 90+2' | |
Marco Mancosu | ||
| 90+4' |  |
Leonardo Pavoletti (Assist: Gabriele Zappa) |
Match statistic
