Roma beat Cagliari 4-2 with two late goals in Serie A

Roma defeated Cagliari 4-2 on Tuesday in the ninth round of Serie A, in a match that was decided in the final minutes. Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli scored in the first half, and Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen sealed the win after Daniel Maldini had leveled for the visitors in the 81st minute.

• Roma remain unbeaten at home: 17 straight Serie A matches without losing at the Stadio Olimpico.
• Emanuele Lulli, 19, scored and assisted in his return to the starting lineup.
• Cagliari took the lead with a penalty converted by M'Bala Nzola.
• Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen struck in the last five minutes to break the 2-2 deadlock.

The penalty that put Cagliari ahead

Cagliari struck first after VAR spotted a handball by Niccolò Pisilli inside the box. M'Bala Nzola stepped up from the spot and beat Pierluigi Gollini with a left-footed shot, giving the lead to a side that arrived at the Olimpico after two consecutive defeats.

Roma's first-half response

The home side responded in the 15th minute. Nahuel Molina swung a cross into the area and 19-year-old Emanuele Lulli headed it in to level the score. The Italian youngster, a product of the club's academy since 2021, recently extended his contract until 2031.

Six minutes later, Pisilli completed the comeback. Lulli set him up inside the box and the wing-back finished with the inside of his right foot to beat the Cagliari goalkeeper. With a goal and an assist, Pisilli marked his return to the starting eleven in decisive fashion.

Gollini stands firm with Svilar sidelined

With the lead in hand, Roma kept pushing and looked to extend the gap. Pierluigi Gollini, starting in place of the injured Mile Svilar, made several interventions to protect the result and prevent Cagliari from drawing level earlier in the match.

Maldini equalizes, but Mora and Malen close it out

Cagliari managed to equalize in the 81st minute through Daniel Maldini, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to make it 2-2. The deadlock did not last long. Four minutes later, Rodrigo Mora headed in at the near post to put Roma back in front.

The Portuguese celebrated with visible emotion, a goal that helped him bounce back after uneven performances in previous matches. In the closing stages, Mora set up Donyell Malen, who beat the Cagliari goalkeeper on his second attempt to seal the 4-2 result.

A strong home run in Serie A

Roma extended their positive record against Cagliari at home: they have now won six straight meetings at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A, four of them without conceding. The club is unbeaten in its last 17 home matches in the competition, with thirteen wins and four draws.