Serie A's run of high-scoring matches finally came to a halt as Como and Roma played out a goalless draw, the division's first such result this season, arriving only after 53 matches had produced goals. The stalemate was made more notable by the fact that Donyell Malen, the league's top scorer, was sent off at the start of the second half for Como. Roma had started the stronger of the two sides, with Lorenzo Pellegrini striking the post, while Como enjoyed 80 percent of possession after going down to ten men but could not force a breakthrough.
The result leaves Como and Roma as the sides best placed to challenge league leaders Inter, though the table is beginning to take some unexpected shapes. Lazio moved level with Inter at the summit after a 3-1 win over Monza, a remarkable achievement given the club's fans have been boycotting home matches this season.
Perhaps the most eye-catching story, however, belongs to Cagliari. The Sardinian club, who have finished in the top half of Serie A only once in three decades, have opened this campaign with four wins from their first five matches - their best start to a top-flight season in more than 50 years. They followed that with a 1-1 draw against Juventus at the weekend, extending an unbeaten run that has brought six wins and a draw in their last eight league matches, a record bettered only by Roma in that span.
Much of the credit has gone to manager Fabio Pisacane, a club legend who returned to Cagliari as assistant coach in 2022, spent two years working with the academy, and took permanent charge of the first team this year. Pisacane's own story is extraordinary: as a teenager he suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome, enduring paralysis and a 20-day coma, before recovering to make his Serie A playing debut at the age of 30. Midfielder Harry Winks, who joined Cagliari after spells at Tottenham and Leicester, has been full of praise for his coach. "I've worked with many great coaches in my career," Winks said. "Coach Pisacane is certainly at the very top level… Since I arrived here, he has already improved everyone, myself included. I really enjoy working with him; I think he can reach the very top of the sport."
Far from being a team of veterans winding down their careers - despite the presence of Winks and former Barcelona defender Yerry Mina - most of Cagliari's regular starters are 25 or younger. Among them is Daniel Maldini, who scored in a fourth straight Serie A appearance during the win over Juventus, marking his 25th birthday in style. The goal came from a well-worked move involving Paul Mendy, who held off his marker before squaring the ball back for Maldini to finish from close range.
Maldini's recent form follows a turbulent period off the pitch, after having his driving licence confiscated last month following a car accident and a failed breathalyser test that reportedly left five people with minor injuries. Subsequent hospital tests for narcotics came back negative, and he was later called up to the Italy squad under new manager Roberto Mancini. He started alongside Cagliari teammate Alessandro Romano in a 3-1 win over Turkey - the first time in over 50 years that two Cagliari players have started together for the national team.
The draw with Juventus saw goalkeeper Elia Caprile produce a string of important saves, including a stop on a point-blank effort from Randal Kolo Muani, before Juventus levelled through the same player following a cross from Kerim Alajbegovic. Pisacane acknowledged afterward that Juventus had deserved at least a point. The post-match scenes took an unusual turn when both Pisacane and Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti were shown red cards following a confrontation after the final whistle, though neither manager's account painted it as particularly heated. Spalletti later explained he had been commenting on a Cagliari player's game management, while Pisacane appeared puzzled by the incident, reportedly asking, "What did I do?"
Whatever the explanation for that flashpoint, Cagliari's results on the pitch speak for themselves, with Pisacane's side currently sitting fourth in the table.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.