Lecce vs Cagliari 1-0: Krstovic strikes as 10-man Lecce grind out first win

Ten men, one goal, and a season finally up and running

Down a man for an entire half and under stress right to the whistle, Lecce still found a way. A 26th-minute strike from Nikola Krstovic and a gutsy defensive shift delivered a 1-0 win over Cagliari, their first victory and first points of the season after bruising losses to Atalanta and Inter had left them stuck at the bottom. Luca Gotti’s side didn’t just win; they refused to fold.

The tone was set early. Cagliari’s Yerry Mina misread a ball in the seventh minute, gifting Krstovic a clean run at goal. The Montenegrin forward hesitated in the one-on-one and, as the angle closed, a backtracking defender scrambled it off the line. A let-off for the visitors, and a warning Lecce might actually have joy in transition.

The breakthrough arrived on 26 minutes. Gaspar found a gap on the flank and slid a precise low pass into the box. Krstovic attacked the near channel, met it first time, and guided his finish beyond the goalkeeper. Simple movement, ruthless timing. From there, Lecce’s plan sharpened: compress the space, protect the middle, and play forward fast when they could.

Then came the jolt. On the stroke of halftime, Patrick Dorgu was shown a red card, turning a well-managed lead into a survival act. Gotti reorganized on the fly—two compact lines, the striker working alone up top, and wingers asked to drop deep. The home crowd understood the task: 45 long minutes of concentration.

Falcone’s gloves, a steel block, and Cagliari’s near-misses

With the numerical edge, Cagliari controlled long stretches after the break, but control didn’t equal clarity. Lecce’s block denied the obvious pass into central areas, forcing wide deliveries and hopeful cut-backs. When the visitors did pierce the crowd, they ran into Wladimiro Falcone—calm footwork, strong wrists, and zero panic.

The key flashpoint came from point-blank range: Paulo Azzi powered a header toward the corner, and Falcone somehow got across to touch it onto the upright. It was the kind of reflex save that changes the mood in a stadium. Cagliari kept coming. In the 85th minute, Zito Luvumbo bent a vicious low effort at the near post, only for Falcone to drop and glove it away with one firm touch. Minutes later, Nicolas Viola pounced on a second ball inside the box and smashed a rising shot off the crossbar. The goal led a charmed life, yes, but the goalkeeper earned that luck.

The final stretch was about discipline. Lecce’s wingers tracked full-backs to the byline. Midfielders slid across in unison, closing passing lanes instead of diving into risky tackles. Krstovic churned through lonely yards up front, buying seconds at a time with smart hold-up play and the odd foul drawn. Fresh legs from the bench helped them defend the box with numbers, and the clock did the rest.

Context matters here. Coming off heavy defeats, Lecce needed more than a result—they needed a reset. They got it: a clean sheet built on structure and courage. Krstovic’s finish will get the line, but Falcone’s saves carried the weight. The goalkeeper was one of Serie A’s busiest shot-stoppers last season, and he looked every bit that presence again.

For Cagliari, this is a frustrating step back after steady draws against Roma and Como. They had territory, they had the extra player, and they hit the woodwork twice. What they lacked was the final pass through traffic and the finishing touch in a crowded penalty area. On nights like these, a set piece or a deflection is often the difference. They got neither.

Zoom out and the stakes are clear. Both clubs expect to be fighting in the bottom half, where head-to-heads like this feel bigger than the calendar says. Lecce banked three priceless points and a heavy shot of belief. Cagliari leave with a lesson: a man up doesn’t guarantee a way through a well-drilled low block, especially when the keeper is seeing everything.

Key moments that shaped the game:

• 7’ – Mina’s mistake frees Krstovic, but a desperate clearance off the line keeps it 0-0.
• 26’ – Krstovic times his run and finishes first time from Gaspar’s low pass for 1-0.
• 45’ – Dorgu sent off, forcing Lecce to play the entire second half with ten men.
• Second half – Falcone tips Azzi’s close-range header onto the post; later palms away Luvumbo’s near-post strike.
• Late on – Viola crashes a loose ball off the crossbar as Cagliari pile on the pressure.

Tactically, Lecce’s shift after the red card was clear: narrower lines, reduced risk in build-up, and quick balls into channels to relieve pressure. Cagliari tried to flip it with width and higher full-backs, but without enough runners between the lines, their crosses met a wall of defenders and a keeper in rhythm.

It wasn’t pretty. It didn’t need to be. In games like Lecce vs Cagliari, survival instincts take over. One clean strike and a lot of hard running sent the crowd home happy—and nudged a shaky season onto steadier ground.