Cagliari claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Lecce at the Unipol Domus in the third round of Serie A on Monday evening. Daniel Maldini's twenty-ninth-minute goal proved decisive in a match where the visitors controlled possession but could not find an equaliser. The hosts sat eighth on six points, while Lecce dropped to fourteenth with three.
Maldini broke the deadlock with a clinical finish shortly after the half-hour mark. Lecce had looked comfortable on the ball, carrying 58 per cent possession, but their shots lacked conviction. Cagliari, by contrast, registered nine shots on target from thirteen attempts, while their opponents managed only three on target from seven.
There was a strange rhythm to the second half. Lecce pushed forward with greater urgency, yet their goalkeeper, Wladimiro Falcone, had to make eight saves to keep the scoreline intact. Cagliari created three big chances but could not add to their advantage. The visitors camped in the final third without ever really threatening.
By then, the intensity had risen. Three yellow cards arrived in injury time — Alessandro Deiola, Jamil Siebert, and Falcone — as tempers flared when the result was already clear. Cagliari had made five changes, bringing on Oumar Ngom, Jacopo Fazzini, and three others in rapid succession. Lecce also reshuffled their attack but found no answer.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over dominance. Cagliari's expected goals stood at 1.36 to Lecce's 0.41, yet the visitors completed 517 passes against 372. They won more aerial duels and made more tackles, but none of it translated into meaningful chances. The clean-sheet run for Lecce came to an end.
For Cagliari, the win came after a difficult start. They had lost to Verona and Inter in their opening two fixtures, but recovered with a 1-0 victory over Parma before this. Three points now separates them from the bottom half, though the season is young. For Lecce, two defeats in three games suggest they are closing in on trouble.
