Verona saw off Cagliari 2:1 in the Coppa Italia Round of 32 on Wednesday evening. The visitors held their nerve after Paul Mendy had equalised for the hosts, then found a way through when Samuele Mulattieri struck late on. It was a match that could have swung either way, though by then the pattern was already clear enough.
Abdou Harroui gave Verona the lead in the 23rd minute, a moment that set the tone for how the game would unfold. Mendy brought Cagliari back into contention with a 57th-minute goal, but the visitors extended their unbeaten run to eight across all competitions when Mulattieri scored in the 87th. The home side had their chances, but Verona proved sharper when it mattered.
The statistics tell you something, and here's the thing — they tell you a story the scoreboard doesn't quite capture. Cagliari controlled 60 per cent of possession and created 0.68 expected goals, yet Verona's 0.91 xG from fewer shots tells a different tale. Four shots on target for the hosts against five for the visitors, but the accuracy figures say it all: 33 per cent versus 56 per cent. And to be fair, the away side's defensive work was equally telling.
Verona made 30 tackles to Cagliari's nine, won 32 clearances against 19, and kept their shape when the home side pushed forward. The yellow cards came in clusters — Iannoni and Adopo both saw cards in the 68th minute, with Korac following shortly after. Three bookings for Cagliari, two for Verona, and the game settled into something more measured as the final quarter unfolded.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the hour mark, with both managers looking to change the dynamic. Grigoris Kastanos and Abdou Harroui were paired together in the 58th minute for Verona, while Mattia Felici, Jacopo Fazzini and Nunzio Lella all came off for Cagliari around the same period. Harry Winks arrived late into the game for the hosts, but it was too little, too late.
The result keeps Verona alive in the competition and sends Cagliari back to Serie A duty with a question mark over their cup ambitions. The goal difference doesn't shift anything in the table, but the manner of defeat matters more. Cagliari had the ball, but Verona had the moments — and in the Coppa Italia, that is what separates one side from the other.
