Gasperini closes in on Garcia's Roma unbeaten record as he targets Liedholm's mark

Rodrigo Mora headed the decisive goal as Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2, with Donyell Malen scoring the fourth. Mora, who stands 1.68 metres tall, rose to head home the 3-2 goal, a moment that reversed the momentum after the match had seemed to slip away from the hosts. Il Messaggero described the Portuguese forward's header as a moment that brought the young but tired Roma side back into the game. Gian Piero Gasperini was smiling at the final whistle despite a second half that his side played poorly, with many individual and collective errors, Roma conceding more than they should have and creating less than usual. The result came after Roma had shipped five goals in their last two matches, a worrying return even though the fear of conceding appeared to have disappeared against Cagliari. The win came in the style of Inter, with Roma absorbing pressure before striking back, and the Italian paper noted the Giallorossi tend to be pushed back without ever managing to counter seriously. Cagliari had the edge in shots in the closing stages, 9 to 8. Gollini, in the mould of Svilar, made a save to deny Mendy shortly before Maldini's goal put Cagliari in front, which proved to be the moment that woke Roma up for a second time. Mora flew to meet a cross from Ghilardi and headed in, a late development in the match. Malen then sealed the 4-2, collecting another fine piece of play from the Portuguese midfielder, after Mora had again been involved in delivering the ball into the area for the Dutch forward. Gasperini, the paper concluded, once again went beyond the difficulties and errors with his decisions in the closing stages.

Former Roma, Milan and Juventus striker Marco Borriello has said Donyell Malen would be a bench player at a top European side, and that Serie A has become more mediocre than in his day. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the early season, including Roma's start, Borriello also gave his view on his former team-mate Daniele De Rossi at Genoa. On Malen, Borriello said: "He has quality, Gasp brings it out of him, and then Serie A is no longer what it used to be: now there is more mediocrity than in my time. Malen scores a lot in Rome, but if you put him in a big Spanish or English side he sits on the bench." The comments put the Dutch forward's role at Roma under the spotlight, with Gian Piero Gasperini getting the credit for bringing out his best form. Borriello also spoke warmly about De Rossi, who is now in charge at Genoa. "I have known Daniele since the Italian Under-20 team. At Roma I was one of his most loyal followers, and he defended me many times. A great player and an extraordinary leader, and now he is showing himself to be a competent and intelligent coach: the 'Smart One'. If I were the president of Genoa, I would hold on to him tightly. De Rossi is a predestined one. My advice? Not to fall for certain provocations, football gossip that does not deserve to be taken seriously."

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini lost his temper during the first half of the win over Cagliari, throwing his jacket to the ground after an error by Gianluca Mancini. With the score at 2-1, Mancini failed to delay and was beaten by the pace of Fadera, which gave Cagliari a chance they then wasted. The reaction recalled similar scenes from Massimiliano Allegri, though the gesture was instinctive and showed a coach who does not accept drops in intensity and demands the maximum from his players. The anger soon subsided, but the suffering lasted until the final whistle, as the result at one stage risked slipping away. Fatigue and injuries have shortened the rotations, and Gasperini still expects more from those on the pitch. Mistakes are part of the game, he is said to believe, but they cannot become a habit. The victory brought the smile back to the coach's face after a difficult spell, and it was built on the attention to detail that he has made central to his work at the club in the capital. In the end, the substitutions settled the match, with Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen both proving decisive. Gasperini's changes were, once again, the winning move. Under the Piedmontese coach, Roma are building a period of continuity that the capital has lacked for some time, even without trophies so far.