Serie B, Cagliari in the play off semifinals: Lapadula show, 2-1 against Venice

CAGLIARI – Cagliari flies to the semifinals of the Serie B playoffs where they will challenge Parma in the two-legged match, with the first leg being played in Sardinia on Wednesday 31 May and the return match at the Tardini on Saturday 3 June. In a Unipol Domus that has never been so fiery as on this occasion, Ranieri’s team treat themselves to a magical evening by beating Venice 2-1, thus avenging the relegation of a year ago remedied at Penzo against the lagoon players. As usual, Gianluca Lapadula took care of dragging the Sardinians with his 24 goals of the season. The Rossoblu number 9 swept the long distance match against Joel Pohjanpalo, second in the top scorer with 19 goals. The Viking was literally entangled in the web built around him by Ranieri, ending the match dry-mouthed.

The choices of Ranieri and Vanoli

For the occasion, the Testaccio coach recovers Makoumbou, a fundamental piece in his midfield, and focuses on Luvumbo’s speed to surprise Venice with Pavoletti going on the bench. More confirmations for Deiola, in defense space in Altare alongside Dossena with Obert preferred to Azzi in the left lane. Vanoli, on the other hand, confirms the eleven on the eve with Svoboda in central defense in place of the suspended Ceppitelli, formerly on duty together with the highly booed Carboni, and Johnsen alongside Pohjanpalo. Lapadula awarded as the best footballer of Serie B 2022/23 before the match. The Italian-Peruvian ended the regular season with 21 goals.

Lapadula closes it in 4′

Those who expected a Venice voted to attack, because it was forced to win, must change their mind, more thanks to Cagliari than due to the demerit of Vanoli’s team. The rossoblu enter the field aggressively and determined to end any qualifying speech ahead of time. So for over half an hour it is the red and blue domain. In the eighth Joronen in bagher clears a left from inside the Luvumbo area, a few moments later Nandez kicks high from an angled position, then it is Altare, following the development of a corner, who almost takes the lead. It’s just the evidence of the goal that arrives just before the quarter of an hour with Lapadula usually good at heading in Nandez’s lateral cross. The Serie B top scorer repeats himself 4′ later with a left footed shot from 11 meters that leaves no way out for the visiting goalkeeper. The siege of Cagliari continues and the orange-greens are saved on two other occasions. In the 36th minute the first acute lagoon with Pohjanpalo serving in the small area Johnsen cleverly closed by Radunovic outgoing. At the end of the first half, the Norwegian was blocked centrally in two stages by the home full-back from the edge.

Pierini shortens, but that’s not enough

In the second half Ranieri ended leaving Mancosu in the locker room for a defender, Goldaniga. However, Venezia immediately shortened the gap with the newcomer Pierini good at anticipating a distracted Obert and head-butting Radunovic on Ellertsson’s cross from the left. It’s not the same Cagliari as in the first half, just as Venice isn’t. The drive from the lagoon grows as the minutes go by forcing Ranieri’s men more often than not to lock themselves in their own trocar. Pohajnpalo tries to encourage him with two shots from outside that don’t worry the Rossoblu goalkeeper. The final host assault is confusing and sterile, at Di Bello’s triple whistle Lapadula and his companions are raised to the sky by the liberating cry of the more than 16,000 Unipol Domus.

CAGLIARI-VENICE 2-1 (2-0)
CAGLIARI (4-3-1-2): Radunovich; Zappa, Dossena, Altare, Obert (61′ Azzi); Nandez (76′ Kourfalidis), Makoumbou, Deiola (72′ Rog); Mancosu (46′ Goldaniga); Lapadula, Luvumbo (72′ Preelec).
VENICE (3-4-1-2): Joronen; Hristov, Svoboda, Carboni (83′ Sverko); Candela (46′ Pierini), Tessman, Andersen (46′ Milanese), Zampano (83′ Tcherychev); Ellertsson (83′ Novakovich); Johnsen, Pohjanpalo.
REFEREE: Di Bello from Brindisi
MARKERS: Lapadula 14′, 18′; Pierini 52′.
NOTE: Recovery: 2′, 5′. Ammonites: Ellertsson (V), Hristov (V), Dossena (C), Kourfalidis (C). Spectators 16,054. Collection €358,506.