Gianluca Lapadula was a starter at Cagliari va Bari for Serie B date 25

Gianluca Lapadula scored again for the second game in a row, but his side couldn’t add three. This Saturday, February 18, Cagliari traveled to Bari for the 25th day of Serie B and the ‘Bambino’ scored the first and only goal for his team. However, the negative note is that he was sent off in the opening minutes of the second half.

Just over a minute after the start of the game, the Sardinian team managed their first attack of the game and knew how to take advantage of it in the best way. Positioned in the rival pack, midfielder Nunzio Lella took the ball and sent a pass to playmaker Marco Mancosu who was unmarked on the left wing.

The number 5 of the ‘red and blue’ team took two touches to sketch and, given the passivity of Bari’s defensive block, sent a measured cross into the rival area which was miscalculated by defender Francesco Vicari and found well placed in Gianluca Lapadula, who hit a perfect header that beat resistance from youngster Elia Caprile, who came out lazy to cut the action.

It’s the second game in a row where the player of the Peruvian team has scored, having scored against his former team Benevento on Saturday, February 11. Between Serie B and the Italian Cup, ‘Lapa’ scored 11 goals in the 2022/2023 season.

It wasn’t a perfect day for the national striker, as shortly after the start of the complementary phase, at 56 minutes, Lapadula was sent off after elbowing defender Federico Vicari.

After a goal kick in favor of Cagliari, Gianluca vehemently went for the ball in the air and in his momentum to look for the trick, he ended up hitting his opponent, who remained lying on the grass. The referee of the match did not hesitate and showed the second yellow card to the former AC Milan. The first warning was received 34 minutes into the first half.

In this way, the 33-year-old athlete suffered his first expulsion in Serie B 2022/2023 and will not be able to be part of the match for the next date, visit against Venezia on Saturday February 25. Hard low for its technical director Claudio Ranieri.

Sending off is not a common feature of Gianluca Lapadula’s career, having not seen a red card for over three years. The last one dates back to November 25, 2019, when he wore the Lecce jersey and faced the institution he defends today, Cagliari, in a match corresponding to Serie A.

Gianluca Lapadula was a starter at Cagliari va Bari for Serie B date 25

After the national team was sent off, Cagliari lost ground and ended up conceding the draw against Bari’s relentless attacks. It was at minute 95 that striker Mirco Antenucci managed to convert a penalty into a goal and stole two points from the Sardinian cast.

With the result, those led by Claudio Ranieri are sixth in Italy’s second division on 36 points, six behind second-placed Genoa with one game less. The leader of the competition is Frosinone, who have a 19-point advantage over Cagliari.

The first two in the standings go directly to Serie A, while the third to eighth, if there is less than 14 points difference between them, compete in the playoffs to define the last promoted.

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