Chapter 15: Vs Cagliari (4)
The air in the Unipol Domus grew thick with tension as the second half pressed on. Both Lecce and Cagliari had traded missed opportunities, their players growing wearier with every passing minute. The weight of the match hung over the pitch like humidity before a storm. Every tackle, every sprint, every touch of the ball carried consequence.
Alex Walker stood on the edge of his technical area, arms folded, lips pressed in a tight line, eyes flicking between the field and the clock. His coat hung open, collar ruffled by the stiff breeze sweeping through the stadium, but he didn’t notice. All of his focus, his attention, his very breath, lived within the confines of the green rectangle in front of him.
His team had fought well. They had dominated large spells of possession, pushed Cagliari back into their own half for stretches, and still, they trailed. The scoreboard stubbornly read 1–0 in favor of the home side. A sucker punch of a goal in the 53rd minute—a well-placed strike from Nandez off a second ball after a corner—still lingered like a bitter taste.
The energy in the stands shifted every time the home side touched the ball, the crowd urging them forward with thunderous chants. Despite the sea of red and blue in the stands and the thudding rhythm of drums echoing across the terraces, Lecce refused to lie down.
In the 70th minute, Santiago Pierotti had come closest. A wayward clearance from Goldaniga fell invitingly at the edge of the box. Pierotti pounced, controlling the ball expertly with his chest before sending a powerful volley just over the crossbar. Alex had winced, already imagining the net rippling. That had been the moment—or so he thought.
Cagliari responded almost immediately. Zito Luvumbo, who had been a menace all game, skipped past Dorgu with a burst of speed, drawing a collective gasp from the home fans. His cross was vicious, low and curling, aimed perfectly at the near post. Lapadula timed his run well, getting in front of Baschirotto, but his header flashed wide.
["Oh, that’s another warning for Lecce! Lapadula again, he’s looking hungry today,"]
["You have to credit Cagliari’s threat in transition, but Lecce are living dangerously now. That goal seems to have energized the home side."]
Despite the pressure, Lecce didn’t collapse. The players fought for every loose ball, pressed with urgency, and chased every pass like it might be their last. The midfield duo of Ramadani and Berisha ran themselves into the ground, covering space, breaking lines, and recycling possession. Even the defenders, so often maligned in recent weeks, stood firm. Baschirotto, in particular, played like a man possessed, barking orders, making crunching tackles, and putting his body on the line time and again.