Cagliari may have lost 4-2 to Roma, but the most important success story of the night was the return to the field of Yael Trepy, two months after he nearly died in a swimming pool.
The 20-year-old striker had impressed for the Sardinians in pre-season and started their Coppa Italia win over Arezzo on August 14.
It was three days after that he was enjoying some time off in a rented villa with friends when he took a dip in the swimming pool, not realising how deep it was, and got into difficulty.
He was rushed to hospital and kept in intensive care while the fluid was removed from his lungs, making a full recovery.
Trepy recovery complete with Cagliari comeback
That process was completed today when Trepy came off the bench in Cagliari’s 4-2 Serie A defeat to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
The young striker almost marked it with a goal, immediately sprinting into the box to force a save out of Pierluigi Gollini.
A product of the Cagliari youth academy, Trepy will see this as a crucial moment in his career, which was so nearly cut cruelly short by an accident.