Roma is heading into yet another midweek Serie A clash, this time against Cagliari on Tuesday night, still riding their unbeaten run after a wild 3-3 draw with Napoli on Saturday. That Napoli game sounds like one of those grinders that just sucks all the energy out of a squad, so it’s a quick turnaround for match number nine of their league campaign, right back on home turf.
Cagliari Comes to Town as Roma Navigates a Packed Schedule
Cagliari is making the trip from Sardinia, and they’re looking to turn things around after a 2-0 loss to Bologna this past Saturday. They actually started the season pretty bright, but their last win was before the international break. They did manage to snag a point against Juventus in their first game back, so maybe they are not a total pushover. These midweek games are just brutal, there’s no let-up in the schedule, and you have to wonder how much that wears on the squad. Last season, Roma and Cagliari split their two matchups, one win apiece. The last time they met, back in February, Donyell Malen popped off, scoring his first two goals at the Olimpico to seal a 2-0 win. That new attacker looked sharp then, didn’t he? It was no fluke, we know that now.
Malen’s Goal Drought Has Fans Talking, Soulé Steps Up
Speaking of Donyell Malen, he is heading into this game trying to snap an unprecedented run of three Serie A appearances without scoring. Three games! That’s a lifetime for a striker. Now, to be fair, he has been lighting it up in the Champions League, bagging three goals across two games in between his Serie A struggles. But still, the Serie A drought is real. Whether he even starts against Cagliari is a big question mark, though. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini isn’t afraid to rotate his guys, especially with these tight turnarounds. “I’ll decide on the team tomorrow but there probably will be a few changes,” Gasperini said at his presser. “We’ll bear our opponents in mind too. We have a squad that enables us to switch things up when we need to, during the game as well.” It’s hard to argue with that logic. The problem for Roma, though, is they have so many key players on the injury list, it really limits how much Gasperini can actually switch things up. On a brighter note, Gasperini sounds “optimistic” that Paulo Dybala could be back in the matchday squad, which would be massive for the squad.
Honestly, Roma might not even need to rush Dybala back if Matías Soulé keeps playing like he did against Napoli. “He produced a stunning performance the other night and he’d been playing well in the games before that too,” Gasperini enthused. “Sometimes we forget he’s still young, just 23. At his age a footballer has plenty of room for improvement in every area so he can become an even better player. That’s what he’s shown so far this season.” Gasperini clearly sees something special in Soulé, noting he is doing it all over the pitch: not just on the right, but also on the left, covering the whole flank, even playing in the hole. He scored a goal and did other great things against Napoli. The kid has matured, he is more confident, and he is losing the ball way less than he used to. Sounds like a total vote of confidence from the coach.
So, it’s Roma versus Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico, kicking off at 20:45 CET, which is 3:45 PM EDT. Ermanno Feliciani will be the referee. Can Roma keep their unbeaten run alive with Malen looking for a Serie A spark and a potentially limited squad due to injuries? You know all eyes are going to be on that pitch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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