Serie A | Pisa 3-1 Cagliari: Caracciolo hero for 10 men in rare win

Despite being down to 10 men from the 37^th minute, Pisa still managed only their second victory of the season, beating Cagliari 3-1 with captain Antonio Caracciolo’s brace.

The hosts were left rock bottom despite the arrival of new coach Oscar Hiljemark, with Simone Scuffet, Juan Cuadrado, Lorran, Daniel Denoon and Isak Vural not fully fit. Sebastiano Esposito was suspended for the Sardinians, with Riyad Idrissi, Gennaro Borrelli, Andrea Belotti and Mattia Felici injured, but Gennaro Gaetano, Alessandro Deiola and Yerry Mina were available again.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The referee initially seemed to point to the edge of the area, but changed it to the spot when Arturo Calabresi was brought down by an Ibrahim Sulemana sliding tackle. The contact seemed to be on the line, so Stefano Moreo converted for his first Serie A home goal of the season.

Cagliari had the opportunity to equalise moments later with an Adam Obert diving header, but it thumped the crossbar from 10 yards.

Pisa lost Marius Marin to a knee injury and Matteo Tramoni’s strike was charged down, but above all they went down to 10 men when the referee spotted Rafiu Durosinmi kicking out at Yerry Mina in an off the ball situation. It was hardly the first time that Mina’s method of frustrating strikers has paid off.

Nicolas got down to fingertip an Obert daisy-cutter round the far post, but it was so nearly 2-0 for Pisa on the stroke of half-time.

More knocked back the cross at the far post for Matlhe Hojholt to tap in from point-blank range, but was denied by a stunning Elia Caprile reaction save.

Instead, 10-man Pisa doubled their lead when Michael Folorunsho flicked on a Simone Canestrelli throw-in, accidentally providing the assist for Antonio Caracciolo to fire in on the half-volley at the near post.

Cagliari seemed to crumble, as Obert’s decisive block prevented Samuele Angori completing the give and go in the box, but Pisa added a third on the resulting Mehdi Leris corner with Caracciolo unmarked to prod in from point-blank range with his knee.

Semih Kilicsoy forced a flying Nicolas save from distance, but Cagliari did finally get back into it when Alberto Dossena’s header forward bounced, and Leonardo Pavoletti acrobatically turned in on the volley after shoving Raul Albiol aside.

Dossena also nodded Obert’s corner just wide of the back stick, but Cagliari went down to 10 men too when Obert received his second yellow card for bringing down Leris.

Caprile kept the scoreline down late on with another tricky save on Moreo’s header.

Pisa 3-1 Cagliari

Moreo pen 9 (P), Caracciolo 52, 54 (P), Pavoletti 67 (C)

Sent off: Durosinmi 37 (P), Obert 81 (C)