Cagliari edge Lecce as Daniel Maldini settles tight Serie A contest

Cagliari secured a narrow victory over Lecce on Monday, 7 September, winning 1-0 in the third round of the 2026-27 Italian championship.

The home side made the stronger start at Cagliari and gradually took control of the match. Their pressure eventually produced the opening goal in the 29th minute, when Daniel Maldini finished after being set up by Jacopo Fazzini.

That goal proved decisive in a closely contested game. Once Cagliari had moved in front, they were able to manage the advantage more effectively and make it increasingly difficult for Lecce to find a way through.

Lecce continued to look for an equaliser after falling behind and did not abandon their attacking efforts. However, their attempts to respond failed to produce the required result, particularly after the interval.

Cagliari’s lead gave them greater control as the match progressed. Rather than allowing Lecce to build sustained pressure, the hosts successfully contained their opponents and protected the advantage established by Maldini’s first-half strike.

Although Lecce remained hopeful of recovering from the deficit, they were unable to make their opportunities count in the second half. Cagliari therefore held on to claim the points by the narrowest possible margin.

The result leaves Cagliari with six points from their opening three matches of the campaign. Lecce have three points after the same number of games.

For Cagliari, the victory represents a valuable result at home and maintains their positive points total after three rounds. The decisive moment came before half-time, when Fazzini’s pass created the opportunity for Maldini to break the deadlock.

Lecce will instead reflect on a match in which their efforts to recover were not matched by an effective final product. Their hopes of taking something from the game remained alive after Cagliari scored, but the visitors could not turn that pressure into a goal.

In the end, the single goal separated the teams. Maldini’s finish in the 29th minute was enough for Cagliari to claim a 1-0 win, while Lecce left the match with their points total unchanged at three.