Serie A: Cagliari 2-3 Fiorentina – Viola qualify for Europe in Ranieri’s farewell

It was a brilliant first 45, and though they went in behind at the interval, it was clear that Cagliari were wanting to send Ranieri off with a particularly special memory. 

It took a VAR intervention for Cagliari to get themselves back level after the break. Matteo Prati lifted a cross into the middle of the area for Deiola to latch onto and stick past Terracciano, only for the linesmane to raise his flag while he wheeled away celebrating. 

It was an issue for the Serie A officials in the control room to amend, and just over a minute later, it was officially and correctly awarded as a goal. 

The moment of the match, however, came courtesy of Mutwanda, on just the fifth Serie A appearance of his career. In fact, he had only previously featured for a total of 23 minutes across those appearances. 

The 21-year-old Primavera graduate picked the ball up on the left flank, before cutting inside and bending an outrageous effort into at the far post, right from the opposite corner of the penalty area. 

Just under a minute from the 90th, Fiorentina were level again. It was Gonzalez who latched on to a fierce free-kick delivery from Cristiano Biraghi, tapping home from about two yards out. 

Then, right at the end, VAR was called upon again to award a penalty after Lucas Beltran was kicked in the area. It seemed harsh at the time, but the officials were adamant they had made the right call. 

After an incredible delay, it was Juventus loanee Arthur Melo who took the ball away from Beltran and Gonzalez. He, finally, was able to tuck away into the bottom left corner after a little stutter in his run-up. 

Already mathematically safe from relegation, Cagliari find themselves in the same position as they were at the start of the evening, sitting comfortably in 15th place with 36 points, albeit pending results from the rest of the Serie A fixtures over the coming weekend. Ranieri himself had said that that total would be enough for survival several months ago.

For Fiorentina, it confirms that they will be playing in a UEFA competition next season, although it remains to be seen whether that will be in the Europa League or the Conference. They still have a direct chance of qualifying for the former with their Conference League final against Olympiacos in Athens next Wednesday.

Full-time in Serie A: Cagliari 2-3 Fiorentina

Bonaventura (F) 39’, Deiola (C) 64’, Mutandwa (C) 85’, Gonzalez (F) 89’. 

23-05-2024 19:45 MatchDay 38 Sardegna Arena

CAG

FIO 2 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		39'		Giacomo Bonaventura (Assist: Gaetano Castrovilli)
		44'		Rolando Mandragora
		45+2'		Luca Ranieri
		45+3'		Cristiano Biraghi

2nd half

Alessandro Deiola (Assist: Matteo Prati)		64'
		71'		Giacomo Bonaventura
Kingstone Mutandwa (Assist: Nahitan Nández)		85'
		89'

Nicólas González (Assist: Cristiano Biraghi)     89' M’Bala Nzola Yerry Mina 90+2'     Ibrahim Sulemana

90+4'         90+13'

Arthur Melo CAG FIO

Starting lineups

22

Simone Scuffet Goalkeeper 90' 33 Adam Obert Defender 28 Gabriele Zappa Defender 27

Tommaso Augello Defender 26

Yerry Mina Defender 14

Alessandro Deiola Midfielder 78' 16 Matteo Prati Midfielder 8

Nahitan Nández Midfielder 90' 10

Nicolas Viola Midfielder 9

Gianluca Lapadula Attacker 77 Zito Luvumbo Attacker 78' 1

Pietro Terracciano Goalkeeper 3

Cristiano Biraghi Defender 2

Dodô Defender 16

Luca Ranieri Defender 4

Nikola Milenkovic Defender 66' 72

Antonin Barak Midfielder 17

Gaetano Castrovilli Midfielder 5

Giacomo Bonaventura Midfielder 73' 38

Rolando Mandragora Midfielder 56' 20

Andrea Belotti Attacker 74' 11

Jonathan Ikoné Attacker

56'

Substitutes

61

Eldor Shomurodov Attacker 30

Leonardo Pavoletti Attacker 1

Boris Radunović Goalkeeper 32

Andrea Petagna Attacker 70

Gianluca Gaetano Midfielder 23

Mateusz Wieteska Defender 17

Pantelis Chatzidiakos Defender 37 Paulo Azzi Attacker 19 Gaetano Oristanio Midfielder 34 Kingstone Mutandwa Attacker 78' 18

Simone Aresti Goalkeeper 90' 5

Marco Mancosu Midfielder 90' 99 Alessandro Di Pardo Defender 90' 25 Ibrahim Sulemana Midfielder 32

Alfred Duncan Midfielder 65 Fabiano Parisi Defender 8

Maxime Lopez Midfielder 22

Davide Faraoni Defender 99

Christian Kouamé Attacker 53

Oliver Christensen Goalkeeper 30 Tommaso Martinelli Goalkeeper 33 Michael Kayode Defender 19 Gino Infantino Midfielder 37 Pietro Comuzzo Defender 10

Nicólas González Attacker 56' 6

Arthur Melo Midfielder 56' 28

Lucas Martínez Quarta Defender 66' 9

Lucas Beltrán Attacker 73' 18

M’Bala Nzola Attacker

74'

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