Cagliari’s place in the early Serie A story has been built from the back. With only two goals conceded, the Sardinian side have turned defensive continuity into fourth place, despite scoring just five times — a modest return compared with the other teams in the top ten.
A defensive record stretching beyond Serie A
The two goals allowed by Cagliari came against Inter and Atalanta, leaving them with the strongest defensive record in Serie A. Roma and Lazio follow on three conceded, while Milan, Frosinone and Juventus have each let in four. Inter, for comparison, have conceded eight, although their 15 goals scored underline a very different approach to the opening weeks.
Cagliari’s figures also place them at the summit across Europe’s major domestic leagues. Their average of 0.4 goals conceded per match is matched by Lyon in France.
- Cagliari: 0.4 goals conceded per game
- Lyon: 0.4 goals conceded per game
- Bayern Munich: 0.5 goals conceded per game
- Leeds United: 0.6 goals conceded per game
That resilience has given Pisacane’s team a considerable return on a small attacking output. Five goals have been enough to collect the points required for fourth position, making every clean sheet and narrow advantage especially valuable.
Continuity in the back line
The defence is the one unit largely preserved through the transfer window. Midfield and attack were extensively reshaped, but the new defensive arrivals — Sugawara, Kofler and Aurelio — have so far played supporting roles rather than displacing the established core.
There was nevertheless one significant adjustment. Yerry Mina returned from the World Cup later than his team-mates in mid-August and followed an individual preparation programme. A calf issue then ruled the Colombian out for the opening rounds.
Pisacane responded by moving Alessandro Deiola back into defence, initially out of need rather than as a preferred plan. The captain’s commitment was never in question, but his effectiveness alongside Rodriguez has been one of the more important developments of Cagliari’s opening phase.
Deiola’s flexibility gives Pisacane options
Deiola performed strongly enough in pre-season and competitive matches to delay Mina’s full return. Mina was nevertheless important again in the demanding match at Udinese, where Cagliari secured a third straight away victory and their fourth win overall.
- Deiola began the Udinese game in midfield, adding physical presence against the hosts’ imposing side.
- Maldini’s goal changed the demands of the match.
- As Cagliari sought to protect the lead, Pisacane dropped Deiola back into the defensive line.
- The move helped shut out Udinese’s willing but disjointed attacking efforts.
The result reinforced the value of a player able to cover two areas of the pitch without reducing the side’s defensive reliability.
Juventus will test the next stage
With Mina now fully available, Pisacane’s next task is to balance his resources carefully. The Colombian is particularly strong when defending in tight spaces, though he is considered less suited to matches in which Cagliari must hold a higher line.
That judgement will soon face a major examination. When Serie A resumes, Juventus will arrive as the side aiming to break a Cagliari defence that has so far made itself the championship’s most difficult to breach.
