At the age of 72, Claudio Ranieri demonstrated his enduring magic by inspiring his Cagliari team to a remarkable 4-3 comeback victory. This historic win in Serie A saw Cagliari fight back from a daunting 3-0 deficit, securing the win in the dying moments of stoppage time.
Having experienced a challenging start to the season with his newly-promoted side, Ranieri’s Cagliari were winless in their first nine games prior to their clash with Frosinone on Sunday (October 29). The situation appeared bleak for the Tinkerman as the visitors entered halftime with a two-goal lead, compounded by Cagliari’s Marco Mancosu missing a penalty.
Frosinone extended their advantage to three goals less than four minutes into the second half, seemingly sealing their victory. However, Ranieri’s inspired changes shifted the momentum of the game in a remarkable manner.
Striker Leonardo Pavoletti set up fellow substitute Gaetano Oristanio to pull one back with less than 20 minutes remaining, before Antoine Makoumbou further reduced the deficit shortly after. Pavoletti then emerged as the hero, equalizing in the 90+4th minute and ultimately securing a dramatic last-gasp winner. A tense VAR check upheld the goal, leading to exultation as Ranieri celebrated with his jubilant players.
This extraordinary comeback marked the first time in Serie A history that a team had triumphed after trailing 3-0 after the 70th minute. Fans marveled at Ranieri’s achievement, with some even suggesting it as the greatest miracle of his career. While there were counterarguments citing Leicester’s miraculous league title win, others expressed joy in seeing Ranieri return to winning ways.
The admiration for Ranieri was evident, as one fan proclaimed, “It feels so good to watch him succeed wherever he goes. Good things happen to good people.” Another hailed him as the “miracle man”.
