Roma 4-2 Cagliari: Mora and Malen strike late to keep Gasperini's side unbeaten in third
Cagliari levelled at 2-2 late on in Rome, but Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen scored within two minutes to keep Roma unbeaten on 21 points.
Roma left it late again but stayed unbeaten in Serie A, beating Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night. Cagliari scored a late equaliser to make it 2-2, but Roma struck twice in the closing minutes. Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen got the goals. The result keeps Gian Piero Gasperini's side third with 21 points from nine games.
Roma recover from an early setback
Cagliari took the lead in the 10th minute when M'Bala Nzola scored from the penalty spot. Roma were level five minutes later through Emanuele Lulli. Niccolo Pisilli then put the hosts in front a few minutes after that, and it stayed 2-1 until late in the second half.
Maldini's leveller and a late Roma response
With less than 10 minutes left, Daniel Maldini equalised for Cagliari and seemed to have earned the visitors a point. Roma responded straight away. Mora, who was the standout player on the night, made it 3-2 in the 85th minute, and Malen added the fourth two minutes later. Cagliari's Juan Rodriguez was booked deep in stoppage time.
This was not the first time Roma have needed late goals this season, but their run of results shows they keep finding a way. They have won six and drawn three of their nine league games so far.
The top of the table
Roma's win came on the same night Lazio beat Sassuolo 6-2 to go top on 25 points. Inter are second on 22 points and play Venezia on Wednesday in their game in hand, which kicks off in the early hours of Thursday Malaysia time. Roma are third, four points behind their city rivals, and are the only one of the top three still unbeaten.
Cagliari stay ninth on 13 points. They will feel they deserved something from a game they led early and levelled late.
Why it matters
Gasperini has made Roma hard to beat this season. Lulli and Pisilli scored the first-half goals, and Mora came up with the moment that turned the game. Roma will want to keep that momentum going ahead of the weekend's round of fixtures.
Elsewhere on Tuesday
It was a high-scoring evening across Serie A. Lazio's 6-2 win in Reggio Emilia included two goals from Tijjani Noslin and two Lazio penalties saved by Sassuolo's Stefano Turati. In Turin, Como trailed Torino until the 81st minute before scoring three late goals through Jacobo Ramon, Nico Paz and Martin Baturina to win 3-1. The rest of round nine is played on Wednesday and Thursday Italian time.
Key takeaways
- Roma beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday 27 October.
- Nzola scored a penalty for Cagliari, and Lulli and Pisilli turned the game around before Maldini equalised late on.
- Mora (85') and Malen (87') won it for Roma.
- Roma are third and unbeaten on 21 points, with six wins and three draws.
FAQ
Who scored for Roma against Cagliari? Emanuele Lulli, Niccolo Pisilli, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen.
Where are Roma in the Serie A table? Third on 21 points after nine games, behind Lazio (25) and Inter (22, with a game in hand).
Are Roma unbeaten this season? Yes. They have won six and drawn three of their nine league matches.
Sources: AS Roma, Gulf News, beIN Sports, Sky TG24, MyLineups