Serie A | Verona 2-2 Cagliari: Late comeback denies Hellas victory
Cagliari completed a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in stoppages, as Hellas Verona are still without a victory this season.
Hellas were still looking for their first win of the season after four draws and three defeats, missing Daniel Oyegoke, Maotasem Al-Musrati and Tomas Suslov. The Sardinians lost Yerry Mina and Alessandro Deiola, joining Andrea Belotti, Boris Radunovic and Alessandro Di Pardo on the treatment table, but Zito Luvumbo returned after one point from three rounds.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Gennaro Borrelli shook off an early clash of heads with Unai Nunez to surge onto a long Matteo Prati ball and fire just over the bar for Verona.
Lorenzo Montipò got down for a sensational fingertip save to push the Gianluca Gaetano daisy-cutter inches past the far post.
Unai Nunez went off with a shoulder injury for Hellas, while Borrelli had penalty appeals waved away for a risky Roberto Gagliardini tackle.
Instead, Gagliardini put Verona in front with his glancing header on a Giovane free kick that looped up and dropped into the far bottom corner. It was the ex-Inter midfielder’s first Serie A goal for two years.
Verona thought they had to equalise on 34 minutes until being denied by an extraordinary double Elia Caprile save, first to push the Suat Serdar strike onto the crossbar, then parry the Gift Orban follow-up from point-blank range too.
Caprile made another incredible save when Giovane was at full stretch to volley a low cross, sticking up a hand to push it away from point-blank range.
However, Verona still doubled their advantage with a classic counter-attack. Belghali started it from inside his own half down the right, sending Giovane forward to roll across for the simple Orban tap-in from nine yards.
Valentini’s glancing header on a Giovane free kick also tested Caprile, but Cagliari got back into it when Riyad Idrissi sprung the offside trap down the left on an inspired Adam Obert pass and surprised Montipò at the near top corner with a powerful finish.
It sparked a comeback from the Sardinians, who got back on level terms in stoppages thanks to a fantastic solo effort from Mattia Felici. The substitute completed a give and go with Leonardo Pavoletti to break down the left, squirmed past two tackles and beat Montipò with an angled drive.
Verona 2-2 Cagliari
Gagliardini 23 (V), Orban 59 (V), Idrissi 77 (C), Felici 92 (C)
Player statistic
| Roberto Gagliardini (Assist: Giovane) |
23' | |||
| Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro | 41' |
| Victor Nelsson | 53' | |||
| Roberto Gagliardini | 54' | |||
| Gift Orban (Assist: Giovane) |
59' | |||
| 65' | Adam Obert | |||
| 66' | Leonardo Pavoletti | |||
| 77' | Riyad Idrissi (Assist: Adam Obert) | |||
| 89' | Luca Mazzitelli | |||
| 90+4' | Gennaro Borrelli | |||
| 90+2' | Mattia Felici (Assist: Leonardo Pavoletti) |

