Serie A | Atalanta 1-2 Cagliari: Dea surprised by impressive Sardinians

On September 12, 2026, in Bergamo, Italy, Cagliari Calcio secured a 2-1 victory over Serie A newcomers Atalanta BC. The match marked the Sardinians' second consecutive triumph, following their opening-day 1-0 win over Sassuolo. Despite starting the season with modest expectations, both teams entered the fixture with six points apiece.

Cagliari's first goal came in unexpected fashion midway through the first half, as Michel Adopo fed Paul Mendy, who expertly slotted the ball into the goalframe from eight yards out. The 19-year-old's initial Serie A goal marked the start of a prolific season for the young defender.

Atalanta's Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring in the 41st minute, capitalizing on a fortunate deflection off a free kick delivered by Daniel Maldini. Mendy would add a second goal on the 61st minute, although he was flagged for offside when receiving the assist from Romano. The penalty was Cagliari's first in Serie A this season, and only the second awarded in the opening 34 games of the campaign.

The encounter saw the return of Cagliari's Yerry Mina from injury and the debut of Yukinari Sugawara, as well as the return of Franck Kessie and Jonathan Rowe from the bench. Atalanta, meanwhile, struggled to break down the home defense, failing to register a shot on target in the second half. The match concluded with a tense end, as Atalanta's persistent attacking pressure fell short against Cagliari's resolute defense.