Conte`s side dominated possession but lacked attacking sharpness until the Cameroonian midfielder`s late winner.
Almost one hundred days later, Napoli faced Cagliari once again in a match that evoked past atmospheres. In front of over 50,000 fans, the Diego Armando Maradona stadium was symbolically celebrating its fourth Scudetto, while supporters relished the presence of stars like Kevin De Bruyne and awaited the arrival of Hojlund. However, the game proved tougher than expected for the Italian champions, with a victory snatched in the very last second thanks to a shot from Frank Anguissa, which unleashed pure ecstasy. Cagliari, delivering a dignified and tactically astute performance, cursed their luck, having celebrated a similar late finish against Fiorentina just a week prior.
Slow Start for Conte`s Napoli
Coach Conte deployed Spinazzola on the left flank, opting for a 4-1-4-1 formation with Lucca upfront and De Bruyne supporting him. Despite a dominant 63% possession, Napoli struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the first half. Fabio Pisacane`s Cagliari, led by the former Napoli player, adopted a highly effective man-marking strategy, keeping most players behind the ball. The visitors showed solid defense and launched courageous counter-attacks, troubling Meret with attempts from Esposito (assisted by Deiola) and Prati (set up by debutant Palestra), earning respect for their tactical organization. Napoli maintained constant pressure, but their only real threats were a slightly high volley from De Bruyne, a shot from Lucca saved by Caprile, and a powerful strike from McTominay, the Scudetto-winning hero, blocked by the goalkeeper in the 45th minute.
Relentless Attacking Push Pays Off
Napoli`s siege on Cagliari`s half continued into the second period, but the visitors` resolute defense and Caprile`s saves (from a Spinazzola effort in the 60th minute) denied them any clear opportunities. Spaces were minimal, and conceding one to Cagliari could have been fatal, as shown by a long-range effort from Luvumbo. Pisacane, aware of the need for fresh legs to maintain their resistance, made changes in the 65th minute, bringing on Gaetano and Borrelli for Prati and Esposito. Napoli tried to widen the play, with Politano sending a shot high in the 70th minute, but their build-up was too slow to break down the Sardinian defense, who almost created a chance through Folorunsho with 16 minutes remaining. Conte responded with his customary changes, introducing Ambrosino for Lucca in the 75th minute, followed by Lang and Olivera for De Bruyne and Spinazzola in the 80th, reshaping the team into a 4-3-3. Despite the fresh impetus, Lang narrowly missed a goal that would have ignited the Maradona, after a desperate save by Mina. The match seemed destined for a draw when, in the 93rd minute, McTominay had two golden opportunities: a point-blank shot saved by Caprile and an overhead kick that went just wide, with Anguissa visibly frustrated at being in the way. But, as Anguissa knows, it`s not over until it`s over: from a corner kick, after a flick-on from Buongiorno, with one second left, Anguissa scored the goal that ignited Napoli`s celebrations.
