Cagliari’s season has acquired an improbable momentum, and Daniel Maldini is at the heart of it. The forward marked his 25th birthday by putting the Sardinians ahead against Juventus after 20 minutes, extending a remarkable scoring sequence that had already delivered victories over Lecce, Atalanta and Udinese. For much of the evening, a fourth successive match-winning contribution appeared within reach. Randal Kolo Muani’s equaliser with 10 minutes remaining changed the result, but not the feeling around the club.
Maldini had already left the field by then, replaced around 20 minutes from time by Japanese defender Yukinari Sugawara, 26, formerly of Werder Bremen. From the bench, he could only watch Juventus deny Cagliari another win. Yet the draw has done little to diminish the bond developing between the No. 70 and the Sardinian support. The Islanders membership community had already chosen Paolo Maldini’s son as Cagliari’s player of the month, and his return of four goals in six appearances has quickly made him one of the defining figures of the early campaign.
It is a rate even better than the productive six-month spell he had at Monza from January to June 2024, when he scored four times in 11 matches. His path since then has been less straightforward. Atalanta paid €14 million for him before loan spells failed to bring the intended breakthrough, first at Lazio and then in Sardinia. Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini nevertheless saw an opportunity when the club brought him in during the summer.
The deal reflects the confidence behind the move. Cagliari paid €1 million for the loan and hold an option to buy, which becomes an obligation when Maldini reaches an agreed goal target. Giulini explained before the Juventus match that the condition is tied to a specific number of goals. The eventual fee is understood to be around €8 million, with the target below 10 goals. Given Maldini’s present form, the arrangement is beginning to look like one of the summer’s more astute calls.
The club could also help fund the operation through Sebastiano Esposito, currently on loan at Sassuolo and not expected to return to Cagliari. But the more immediate story is on the pitch, where the rossoblù have lost only to Inter so far, won four matches and now taken a point from Juventus.
A point that carries weight
Goalkeeper Elia Caprile was again central to the result and treated the draw as evidence of a side holding to its identity under pressure. “We stayed focused,” he said. “We came back with the same determination to collect points and keep clean sheets. That has to be our defining quality. It is what allows our attacking and midfield talent to emerge.”
Caprile also addressed his own international ambitions after club-mates Maldini and Romano received Italy call-ups from coach Mancini. “The coach made different decisions,” he said. “My job is to work for Cagliari and do everything I can to get there.”
There is a longer historical echo to Cagliari’s start. With three points awarded for a win, only the 1969-70 side had collected more points after the same number of fixtures. That was the campaign in which Cagliari won the only Scudetto in their history. Nobody in Sardinia needs reminding of the scale of that comparison, but the present team has earned the right to be measured against a demanding past. Maldini’s birthday goal did not bring victory against Juventus; it did, however, underline how quickly Cagliari’s season has become one to watch.
