Cagliari edged out Atalanta 3–2 in a dramatic encounter that saw them move eight points clear of the relegation zone, thanks to a sensational full debut from Paul Mendy and a late impact from substitute Gennaro Borrelli, despite a Gianluca Scamacca brace for the visitors.
The Sardinian side came into the match under pressure after managing just one win and two draws in their previous 10 league games, leaving them nervously close to danger.
Injuries to Leonardo Pavoletti, Luca Mazzitelli, Mattia Felici and Riyad Idrissi had already stretched the squad, while Mendy was surprisingly handed his first professional start, with Marco Palestra left on the bench against his parent club.
Atalanta, meanwhile, were still recovering from their Coppa Italia semi-final defeat to Lazio on penalties and were missing key defender Lorenzo Bernasconi, while Isak Hien was also not fully fit.
The match exploded into life almost immediately. Barely 16 seconds had passed when Mendy opened the scoring, rising to meet Michel Adopo’s right-sided cross and steering a header into the net.
The 19-year-old striker wasn’t done there—moments later he doubled the lead. After Marco Carnesecchi produced a superb save to deny Alessandro Deiola from a corner, Mendy reacted quickest to the loose ball and saw his close-range effort deflect off Berat Djimsiti before crossing the line.
Cagliari could have extended their advantage further on the break, with Mendy again involved in a rapid counterattack, but Marten de Roon made a crucial intervention to deny Deiola a simple tap-in from Adopo’s low delivery.
Atalanta eventually settled and pulled one back through Scamacca, who reacted sharply after Charles De Ketelaere’s effort was blocked, curling a precise shot into the bottom corner.
The striker struck again just five minutes later, sweeping home a first-time finish from Giorgio Scalvini’s cut-back to level the match at 2–2.
The game remained chaotic, with chances at both ends. Juan Rodriguez nearly turned a dangerous cross into his own net, while Cagliari continued to threaten on the break.
However, the hosts suffered a setback at half-time when Mendy limped off clutching his hamstring, ending a dream debut.
His replacement, Gennaro Borrelli, made an immediate impact, scoring within a minute of coming on.
After Michael Folorunsho’s effort was blocked by Sead Kolasinac, the loose ball fell kindly for Borrelli, who slammed home from close range to restore Cagliari’s lead at 3–2.
There was more drama as Marco Palestra entered the fray against his parent club, while Atalanta pushed forward by deploying two strikers, but they struggled to break down a determined Cagliari defence.
Borrelli’s evening was also cut short after he pulled up with a similar injury concern, forcing another change. His replacement, Andrea Belotti, almost scored instantly but was denied in a one-on-one situation by Carnesecchi.
Atalanta continued to press late on, with Mario Pasalic narrowly missing an acrobatic effort and Elia Caprile producing a stunning save to keep out Nikola Krstovic from close range.
Scamacca came close to a hat-trick but saw his header brilliantly saved from a Samardzic delivery.
In the closing moments, Caprile again came to Cagliari’s rescue, redeeming an earlier error by smothering a Raspadori attempt at point-blank range to seal a hard-fought and vital victory.
