Cagliari and Cremonese shared the points in a chaotic and dramatic 2-2 draw, with late goals, VAR drama and a frantic finale defining an entertaining contest.
Cremonese made a perfect start, striking inside four minutes when Dennis Johnsen reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and fired low past Elia Caprile. The visitors doubled their advantage just before the half-hour mark, Jamie Vardy showing his trademark composure by racing through one-on-one and calmly finishing down the middle to make it 2-0.
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CREMONA, ITALY – JANUARY 08: Matteo Bianchetti, Alessio Zerbin and Federico Baschirotto of Cremonese applaud the fans after the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Giovanni Zini on January 08, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Cagliari had chances to respond before the break, most notably through headers from Gennaro Borrelli and Juan Rodriguez, but Emil Audero kept them at bay as Cremonese went into half-time with a commanding lead.
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Cagliari fight back in second half to draw with Cremonese
The second half saw a complete shift in momentum. Michel Adopo pulled one back six minutes after the restart with a precise strike from the edge of the area, reigniting the hosts. Fabio Pisacane’s substitutions added urgency, and Cagliari pushed relentlessly in search of an equaliser, going close through Luca Mazzitelli and Gabriele Zappa.
CREMONA, ITALY – JANUARY 08: Jamie Vardy of Cremonese celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Giovanni Zini on January 08, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
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The breakthrough finally arrived in the 88th minute, substitute Yael Trepy unleashing a stunning long-range effort into the left corner to level the score at 2-2. The drama was not over, however. Deep into stoppage time Sebastiano Luperto was initially shown a red card, only for VAR to downgrade the decision to a yellow, allowing Cagliari to finish with eleven men.
Cremonese had one last chance through Jari Vandeputte, whose effort drifted just wide, before the final whistle confirmed a breathless draw that left both sides with mixed emotions.
