Serie A | Roma 4-2 Cagliari: Hard fought victory secured

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Roma were made to work hard for the three points against struggling Cagliari, as after...

Roma were made to work hard for the three points against struggling Cagliari, as after the fightback for 2-2, Donyell Malen and Rodrigo Mora finished the job.

The Giallorossi won only one of the previous four Serie A matches amid an injury crisis, held to draws in Scudetto clashes with Inter, Como and Napoli. Paulo Dybala, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini were still out of action and there was squad rotation after the 3-3 at the Stadio Maradona .

Cagliari’s form collapsed in recent weeks with a 1-1 draw against Juventus, then back-to-back defeats to Monza and Bologna. Harry Winks joined Mattia Felici and Riyad Idrissi on the treatment table as they reshuffled to a 3-5-2 formation , but Yael Trepy was on the bench for the first time since he nearly drowned in a swimming pool on August 17.

Gianluca Mancini’s angled drive forced Elia Caprile to parry with an outstretched foot at the near post after five minutes, then at the other end Konstantinos Koulierakis made a decisive block to prevent the M’Bala Nzola tap-in.

However, on the resulting corner, a Ze Pedro diving header struck Niccolò Pisilli’s hand from point-blank range, and it was considered worthy of a penalty following a VAR review. Nzola converted, sending Pierluigi Gollini the wrong way.

Roma drew level soon after, as Nahuel Molina stood up a cross to the back post for the Emanuele Lulli header from six yards, surprising Adam Obert.

They nearly turned it around, Santiago Castro unable to steer the Lulli cross on target, but it was only a warning, as Lulli crossed again from the right and this time his Roma youth academy teammate Pisilli was ready to turn in.

Matias Soulé almost surprised Caprile with an in-swinging set play that had to be clawed off the line, but at the other end Gollini made a sensational one-handed save on Michel Adopo, with the Nzola follow-up deflected off target.

Nzola turned wide again from a promising position and Alessandro Deiola’s scorcher was fingertipped over the bar, while Gollini parried from Alieu Fadera at the near post.

Donyell Malen came sliding in a second too late to meet the Wesley assist after combining with Soulé, and Gollini pushed a Juan Rodriguez effort over the bar.

Gollini was also decisive when Daniel Maldini sent Paul Mendy through, denying the angled drive, but it was just a warning for the equaliser moments later.

Obert shrugged off Devyne Rensch and his slide-rule pass released Maldini to beat Gollini from a difficult angle.

This woke Roma up and Daniele Ghilardi got down the right to stand up a cross for the shortest man on the pitch, as Rodrigo Mora was ready to nod in at the back post.

Moments later, Malen completed a rapid give and go with Rodrigo Mora for his finish to squirm under the goalkeeper’s body and create a two-goal cushion.

Yael Trepy made his comeback after nearly drowning on Auugst 17 and going into intensive care, immediately forcing a difficult save from Gollini after a strong solo run.

Roma 4-2 Cagliari

Nzola pen 10 (C), Lulli 15 (R), Pisilli 22 (R), Maldini 81 (C), Mora 85 (R), Malen 87 (R)

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