Cagliari needed goals and, after four months of uncertainty, their main striker returned: Gianluca Lapadula. The forward of the Peruvian National Team came on at the 76th minute, in the midst of a partial draw for the 'Rossoblu' (1-1) against Udinese in the Coppa Italia. This result forced the match to go into extra time and when everything seemed to indicate that the match would be decided by penalties, the 'Bambino' showed up and sealed the 2-1 victory for Cagliari. A comeback that was also celebrated at Videna!
And it seemed that everything was settled and the outcome would be decided by penalties; however, the offensive force of Gianluca Lapadula appeared to tilt the game and seal an epic comeback. Coach Claudio Ranieri bet on the '9' in an important match and he responded in the best way. That is, the injury of the national striker is a thing of the past (he underwent surgery on his right ankle).
During the week, the coach referred to his presence among the squad, clarifying that they wanted to bring him back gradually to ensure a proper recovery process: "Lapadula must play when he is well. He is our star striker, but it is not easy to train overnight and then play with the team. Are we dependent on Luvumbo at the moment? Yes, he must learn to communicate with the team. Let's enjoy these goals he is scoring".
With this victory, the Italian team advances to the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia. In this round, they will face Milan. The match will be played on January 2, 2024, in what will be the first match of the 'Rossoblu' in the new year. Regarding Serie A, they have an unpromising position: second to last with six points in 10 matches played. For this reason, the return of the 'Bambino' is also a key factor in climbing up the standings.
Lapadula, a scoring asset for Peru
Just a few weeks away from playing the Qualifiers for the Mexico, Canada and United States 2026 World Cup, the return of the Italo-Peruvian striker makes him another option for Juan Reynoso. The forward was a starter in the previous process and now he is poised to make a strong comeback, considering the need for the national team to earn points. For now, the national team is in second to last place, with only one point (we drew with Paraguay and then lost to Brazil, Chile, and Argentina).
Another detail to take into account is that the 'Chess-player' team has not been able to score in four matches. In addition, they have very little clarity in front of the opponent's goal. This is why Lapadula would almost certainly be called up as one of the foreign players.
Just as it happened in the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, he could be present in the matches against Bolivia (in La Paz, on November 16) and Venezuela (in Lima, on November 21); it was precisely against Venezuela that he scored his first goal in a previous process for the Qatar World Cup.
What are Cagliari's next matches?
Cagliari will play again this weekend, when they host Genoa for the eleventh matchday of the 2023-24 Serie A. This match is scheduled for Sunday, November 5, at 9:00 a.m., and will be exclusively broadcasted in Latin America by ESPN and Star Plus.
Subsequently, Claudio Ranieri's team will have to focus on their match against Juventus, also in the Serie A. This match is scheduled for Sunday, November 12, at 12:00 p.m., and will take place at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. It will be broadcasted by ESPN and Star Plus. This will also be a great opportunity for Gianluca Lapadula to keep adding minutes.
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