According to Corriere dello Sport, Cagliari have secured 9 points in 4 matches, marking their best start since winning the Serie A championship in 1970.

During post-match celebrations in Bergamo, chairman Tommaso Giulini quietly expressed a wish to several club executives: "Perhaps this year we will play with joy." In other words, Cagliari might significantly improve their position this season, playing more comfortably across various stadiums and avoiding the last-minute struggles common for relegation-threatened teams. Achieving this is not easy, as the team is very young, and coach Pisacane is only in his second season coaching in Serie A. A youth-oriented approach can only work if the club and coaching staff are aligned and execute it well. Cagliari's average age is 24.5 years, ranking fifth among the youngest teams in the league, behind only Parma (23.6 years), Monza (23.7 years), Frosinone (23.9 years), and Fiorentina (24.4 years). The team's biggest achievement right now is securing 9 points after 4 matches with a squad that aligns with the club's plan to prioritize developing young players. It's almost miraculous.

Coach

It's hard not to acknowledge the credit due to Pisacane and his coaching staff, especially experienced assistant coach Giacomo Murelli. They built a highly competitive team before the start of the season, despite the summer transfer market being turbulent. Pisacane took over a significantly changed squad, without their two best scorers Esposito and Borini, and without rising star Nicolò Barella. Barella joined Chelsea in a transfer that brought Cagliari approximately 60 million euros. The midfield and attack are almost entirely new, while the defense saw the promising Diallo replace the Colombian Mina. Mina had always been considered one of the team's leaders. Even so, Cagliari has proven to be competitive. Moreover, since returning to Serie A in 2023 after defeating Bari in the promotion playoffs, the team is now playing their best football.

Cagliari is a dynamic team with a rock-solid defense, having conceded only 2 goals; their offense isn't explosive, scoring only 4 goals, but they create many chances, with an expected goals value of 4.34, indicating significant room for improvement. Pisacane has also impressed, proving himself to be tactically sharp and decisive. In the match against Bergamo, he didn't hesitate to start 21-year-old Kuvelier. This player joined on loan from Südtirol this summer to strengthen the defense, replacing Maldini, who was visibly struggling on the left flank. Such decisions are swift and clear, aligned with the tactical plan established at the season's start: a tactically flexible Cagliari, capable of switching between 4-4-1-1 and 4-3-2-1, and if necessary, playing 4-3-3, with impactful wingers capable of disrupting the opponent's rhythm. The league is still long, and it's too early to draw final conclusions, but a start of 3 wins and 1 loss in the first 4 matches, with the only defeat being a narrow loss to Inter Milan, is already impressive. The last time this was achieved was by Cagliari in the era of Gigi Riva, the team that won the Serie A title in 1970. This underscores the significance of their current form.

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