Nicola's new Cagliari starts with a victory : 3-1 against Carrarese and passage to the next round in the Coppa Italia, where they will host Cremonese in the round of 32 at the end of September. Of the new signings, Piccoli immediately scored.
Davide Nicola , for his official debut with Cagliari, surprisingly chooses a 3-4-2-1 mirroring Carrarese : Luvumbo and Piccoli play in support of Pavoletti. Azzi is deployed on the right after Zortea was spared due to a blow to the shoulder. Luperto makes his debut in defense, with the returning Marin in midfield with Deiola.
Cagliari takes the lead in the 33rd minute : Luperto recovers the ball twice in midfield and launches Piccoli who doesn't think twice and beats Bleve with his left foot. Cerri protests for a foul at the start of the move but it's to no avail, 1-0 and a debut goal for the new rossoblù striker. Piccoli also doubles the lead in the 41st minute, because he heads a free kick from Marin which is inadvertently deflected by Pavoletti , who should still be given the score as he was the one who made the last touch.
In the second half Cagliari immediately came close to scoring the third , with Augello winning a rebound and forcing a great save from Bleve with his right foot. From the corner Deiola headed very close to the post. In the 53rd minute the first chance for Carrarese : on a corner caused by a bad clearance from Wieteska a series of rebounds in the area and Coppolaro from two steps incredibly sent it wide. It was the prelude to the 2-1, which came two minutes later : a long ball on the right, Zanon got ahead of Augello and touched it to the far post where Panico, with an empty net, halved the deficit.
Nicola understands that the inertia risks changing and makes two substitutions to reorganize Cagliari, in Adopo and Lapadula (who becomes captain) for Deiola and Pavoletti . In the 66th minute Prati also replaces Piccoli, applauded. Then the 3-1: Marin's shot is raised for a corner by Bleve, from the corner the first deflection favors Lapadula stopped by the goalkeeper but from two steps away Prati puts it in. Very long check (four minutes) for a possible offside, then the goal is validated. In Carrarese Ryduan Palermo comes in, son of Martín and two seasons ago in Eccellenza at Villacidrese. But it is above all Cagliari who comes close to making it four, with Bleve denying Lapadula a goal again.
