Roma claimed a challenging 4-2 triumph against Cagliari in Serie A, overcoming a second-half comeback before Donyell Malen and Rodrigo Mora scored to decide the match. The Giallorossi had to earn the three points, as their opponents looked capable of flipping the game after equalizing.
The outcome brought some relief to Paulo Dybala’s team following a tough stretch of league games, while Cagliari’s poor form persisted despite displaying sufficient offensive ambition to cause problems for the away side.
Roma gains upper hand following early Cagliari spot kick
Roma came into the match having secured only one win in their last four Serie A outings, with draws against Inter, Como, and Napoli during an extended injury crisis. Paulo Dybala, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné, and Lorenzo Pellegrini were still sidelined, and squad rotation was implemented after the 3-3 stalemate at the Stadio Maradona.
Gianluca Mancini forced Elia Caprile into an early save with an angled strike, but the keeper blocked it with his foot. Cagliari hit back via M’Bala Nzola, whose close-range attempt was thwarted by a well-timed intervention from Konstantinos Koulierakis.
The opening goal arrived from the ensuing corner. Ze Pedro’s diving header made contact with Niccolò Pisilli’s hand from point-blank range, and VAR intervention resulted in a penalty being awarded. Nzola converted and deceived Pierluigi Gollini to give Cagliari the lead.
Emanuele Lulli and Pisilli flip the contest
Roma responded swiftly when Nahuel Molina sent a cross to the back post, where Emanuele Lulli connected with a header from six yards out. Adam Obert was taken by surprise as the visitors leveled the score.
The Giallorossi then pressed for a second, with Santiago Castro failing to guide Lulli’s ball on target. Cagliari survived that scare, but the warning became costly when Lulli whipped in another cross from the right and Pisilli arrived to convert, completing Roma’s comeback.
Matias Soulé almost caught Caprile off guard with a curling set piece that needed to be cleared off the goal line. Nevertheless, Cagliari stayed threatening, and Gollini had to make an excellent one-handed stop to keep out Michel Adopo before Nzola’s rebound was deflected wide.
Cagliari respond as Roma come under renewed pressure
The home team kept pushing, with Nzola squandering another decent chance and Alessandro Deiola forcing Gollini to tip a fierce shot over the bar. The Roma shot-stopper also reacted sharply to deny Alieu Fadera’s attempt at the near post.
At the opposite end, Malen just failed to reach a Wesley delivery after linking up with Soulé, while Gollini pushed Juan Rodriguez’s effort over the crossbar. He then kept out Daniel Maldini after the forward was released by Paul Mendy, but Roma were unable to hold Cagliari off.
Obert held off Devyne Rensch before finding Maldini with a perfectly measured pass. Maldini converted from a tight angle to level at 2-2, putting Roma’s advantage in jeopardy and setting up an intense finale.
Malen and Rodrigo Mora clinch Roma’s win
Roma reacted immediately after conceding. Daniele Ghilardi surged down the right and whipped in a cross to the far post, where Rodrigo Mora, the smallest player on the field, climbed to head the visitors back into the lead.
The defining moment came shortly after. Malen combined with Mora in a swift one-two before finishing, with his shot squirming under the goalkeeper to hand Roma a two-goal advantage.
Cagliari still had opportunities to threaten through Yael Trepy, who returned after nearly drowning on August 17 and receiving intensive care treatment. He instantly tested Gollini with a powerful solo run, but the keeper produced another difficult save as Roma clung on for a 4-2 victory.