Cagliari and Bari played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Italian Serie B promotion playoff final. The early goal scored by Gianluca Lapadula for Cagliari was later nullified by a late penalty converted by Mirco Antenucci for Bari. The winner of this tie will secure a place in Serie A for the 2023-24 season, joining Frosinone and Genoa as the promoted teams.
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Gianluca Lapadula, the Peruvian national team striker, gave Cagliari the lead with a well-executed header just nine minutes into the game. This goal raised hopes for Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari to make a return to the top division after being absent for one year.
However, in the final moments of the match, substitute Mirco Antenucci successfully converted a penalty for Bari. The penalty was awarded after Michael Folorunsho was fouled, resulting in an equaliser for Bari.
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In the final league standings, Bari finished in third place, five points ahead of Cagliari, who secured the fifth position. The two teams will face each other again in the second leg, which is scheduled for Sunday.
