Serie A | Cagliari 4-2 Salernitana: Shomurodov show

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated Mar 9, 2024 10:56 AM ET

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)

09-03-2024 14:00 MatchDay 28 Sardegna Arena

Cagliari

Salernitana 4 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Gianluca Lapadula (Assist: Gabriele Zappa)		12'
Gianluca Gaetano (Assist: Nahitan Nández)		38'

2nd half

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

29 Possession % 71 12 Total shots 12 7 Shots on target 5 2 Shots off target 5 3 Blocked shots 2 5 Corners 4 4 Offsides 2 16 Fouls 11 Cagliari Salernitana

Starting lineups

Simone Scuffet Goalkeeper 4 Alberto Dossena Defender 28 Gabriele Zappa Defender 27

Tommaso Augello Defender 77' 26

Yerry Mina Defender 14

Alessandro Deiola Midfielder 29 Antoine Makoumbou Midfielder 70

Gianluca Gaetano Midfielder 46' 21

Jakub Jankto Midfielder 66' 8

Nahitan Nández Midfielder 66' 9

Gianluca Lapadula Attacker 66' 13

Guillermo Ochoa Goalkeeper 59 Alessandro Zanoli Defender 74' 3

Domagoj Bradaric Defender 17

Federico Fazio Defender 44

Konstantinos Manolas Defender 46' 87

Antonio Candreva Midfielder 25

Giulio Maggiore Midfielder 20

Grigoris Kastanos Midfielder 87' 18

Lassana Coulibaly Midfielder 74' 33 Loum Tchaouna Attacker 14

Shon Weissman Attacker

65'

Substitutes

Simone Aresti Goalkeeper 1

Boris Radunović Goalkeeper 33 Adam Obert Defender 99 Alessandro Di Pardo Defender 17

Pantelis Chatzidiakos Defender 16 Matteo Prati Midfielder 34 Kingstone Mutandwa Attacker 61

Eldor Shomurodov Attacker 46' 10

Nicolas Viola Midfielder 66' 37 Paulo Azzi Attacker 66' 19 Gaetano Oristanio Midfielder 66' 23

Mateusz Wieteska Defender 77' 55

Emanuel Vignato Attacker 56

Benoît Costil Goalkeeper 99 Mateusz Legowski Midfielder 62 Pasquale Allocca Goalkeeper 22 Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi Defender 7 Agustín Martegani Midfielder 24 Marco Pellegrino Defender 4

Triantafyllos Pasalidis Defender 41 Tommaso Ferrari Defender 98

Lorenzo Pirola Defender 46' 9

Simy Attacker 65' 6

Junior Sambia Defender 74' 11

Iron Gomis Midfielder 74' 26

Toma Basic Midfielder

87'

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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