Cagliari add to AS Roma’s misery

Cagliari have handed AS Roma another defeat on Sunday afternoon to record their first win in over two months.

This is Roma’s second consecutive Serie A defeat after losing to Napoli the last time.

Cagliari got their first win since September 19, 2025, via a late strike from. Gianluca Gaetano, after Zeki Celik was sent off.

The defeat to Napoli had initially deposed the Giallorossi from the summit of the Serie A table, with Napoli confirming a negative record in the big games.

Gian Piero Gasperini had lost Wesley, Artem Dovbyk, Angelino, and Paulo Dybala to injury, while Evan Ferguson was not 100 percent fit. The on-loan striker has been struggling with his fitness since his move to the Italian capital from Premier League side Brighton.

The Sardinians head into the clash without a Serie A win in nine games. There were signs of better things to come for them when they forced Napoli into a midweek Coppa Italia sudden-death penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. 

They are also without Mattia Felici, who tore his ACL in that game. He has joined Yerry Mina, Luca Mazzitelli, Ze Pedro, and Andrea Belotti on the treatment table, as they all supported their team from the stands.

Evan Ndicka almost got punished for slipping early to allow Gennaro Borrelli to go clear, but got back on his feet and sprinted back in time for a decisive sliding tackle on the edge of the six-yard box.

Mile Svilar was at the centre to easily take Michael Folorunsho’s header on a Marco Palestra cross, while he goalkeeper had a much tougher save to make on Sebastiano Esposito from another Palestra assist.

The game then changed in favour of the hosts as Roma were reduced to ten men after Folorunsho won back the ball in midfield and surged forward, and went down under a clumsy Zeki Celik challenge. 

The referee had initially awarded a penalty, but following the VAR On-Field Review, he saw the contact was outside the area, so instead Celik was sent off for denying a clear scoring opportunity.

Cagliari failed to convert their opportunity as Svilar made a sensational double save from Svilar,  denied Adam Obert after a smart one-two and turn inside the crowd, then also managing to capture the rebound.

The Roma goalie was again called into action with another quick run off his line to make the desperate save on Folorunsho, then Palestra rode two tackles down the right to pull a shot across the face of the goal from the by-line.

Cagliari’s call for a penalty was turned down when Palestra sprinted into the box again and went down under a Daniele Ghilardi nudge, which was insufficient for a penalty.

Cagliari were finally rewarded when a Sebastiano Esposito corner found Gianluca Gaetano at the back post, he chested it down and hit the half-volley from the tightest of angles through a sea of legs to nestle into the far bottom corner.

After a couple of angry scuffles broke out as tempers were flaring, Paulo Dybala attempted an acrobatic volley on the Devyne Rensch cross, but it was nodded practically off his foot.