VAR review punishes Pisilli handball in Roma's clash with Cagliari

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari, with substitutes Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen breaking a 2-2 deadlock after goals from Lulli and Pisilli. The win was built on the bench: Mora headed in a decisive goal, and Malen added a third for Roma against Cagliari, scoring the winner with a sharp finish. Gasperini's side were far from comfortable for long spells, and the match was tough and rugged throughout. The game was tense and difficult for the hosts. Roma's attacking DNA left space at the back, and Cagliari exploited it, particularly when they raised the tempo. Gollini was outstanding in goal, making several saves, while Soulé also earned praise for his performance. Ghilardi, who came on in the 81st minute, made an immediate impact with a sharp overlap and a cross that drew praise. Gasperini directed the team from the first minutes and was seen gesturing to his players and taking off his jacket during a tense spell. Lulli had a standout display, scoring the first goal after a fine run and an elegant finish, and he also assisted Pisilli for the second. Lulli's new contract was described as a boost of pure energy. Pisilli, who had to defend an accidental handball early on that was punished after the on-field review, recovered with a quick, sharp finish. Molina created the equaliser with a sharp turn and a perfect cross, though his flank was the quieter one in the first half. Mora's goal came with a header, and he celebrated with a line that the short guy is often forgotten. Mora was praised for his talent and humour. Malen came on and created chaos before his decisive finish. Rensch, who replaced Lulli in the 76th minute, was caught out on the flank as Cagliari levelled, nearly complicating matters further. De Roon was praised for his workrate despite the rotation, and Castro struggled to find his rhythm, touching the ball only 17 times after the break. Mancini had a mixed match, starting as a centre-forward and firing an early shot at Caprile, but was visibly tired and was outpaced by Fadera before being replaced by Ghilardi. Koulierakis won several duels and made a crucial save in one instance, though his build-up play was still a work in progress. N'Dicka stayed calm and held his position despite Nzola's more determined attempts. Cristante was active, touching countless balls and contributing to Lulli's goal before taking a defensive role late on.

Roma are scoring at a remarkable rate this season: after a 4-0 win over Cagliari, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have 23 Serie A goals from nine matchday fixtures. According to OptaPaolo, that is the first time the giallorossi have passed 20 goals at this stage of a league campaign since 2016-17, when they scored 23 under Luciano Spalletti. The figure is especially striking when set against last season, and it underlines how many different routes to goal the team now has. Gasperini's side have shown they can strike from several sources, with Roma beating opponents in a variety of ways across the campaign. The goals have come from across the squad. Mora and Malen have contributed, but the biggest contributions have come from Pisilli and Lulli. Balerdi also scored a brace in the win over Napoli. Gasperini's team, the article notes, have seemingly endless ways of scoring and beating their opponents.

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2, with Niccolò Pisilli scoring the equaliser and Mora netting a headed goal after coming on at half-time. Cagliari were awarded a penalty early on after a rash arm from Pisilli, and Nzola converted it, but Pisilli soon levelled. Pisilli was sharp for the goal, pouncing like a falcon to beat Caprile on 20 minutes for the 2-1, though the article notes he was far from flawless, with several loose touches and a sloppy second half that nearly allowed Cagliari an equaliser. The result came in a game where Roma's defence was tested repeatedly. Nzola beat Ndicka only once, from the penalty spot, while Cagliari's striker had another dangerous chance against him. Gollini was praised for his work in goal: he was beaten by the spot-kick from Nzola, but made a crucial save on Adopo close to the line and a stop on Obert shortly before half-time. In the second half he made three saves, and the match report highlights his efficiency. The rating given to Gollini was 6.5, the same as Koulierakis and Pisilli. Mancini was given a 5 for a performance that was more like an advanced winger than a central defender. He tested Caprile early on, but his attacking runs left space for Cagliari down his flank, and Fadera exploited it to pressure him throughout. Ghilardi came on for him on 82 minutes and immediately delivered a cross for Mora, earning a 6.5 rating. De Roon was rated 5.5 after a sluggish start, needing support from Cristante when Cagliari attacked through the middle, and was replaced on 56 minutes by Mora. Mora, rated 7, took the spotlight as expectations surrounded him. His first minutes were awkward, but he produced two good assists that teammates failed to convert. He then scored with his head, despite his height not being an obvious advantage, and was also involved in the build-up to Roma's fourth goal. Molina was rated 6 for his cross play, which was visible in the build-up to the equaliser, though he offered little else in the first half. Wesley came on at half-time with a 6 rating, described as clear-minded despite recent talk about social media, alleged infidelity and money. Soulè was rated 6.5 and was involved on several occasions: he released Mancini down the right after five minutes, dropped deep to create space for teammates, and came close to scoring from a free kick. Castro was rated 5.5 for struggling to provide the depth Malen offers, and Gasperini gave him another ten minutes to prove himself. Malen replaced him on 56 minutes and was rated 7, converting the chance that came his way with a powerful finish past Caprile.

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari, with substitutes Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen breaking a 2-2 deadlock after goals from Lulli and Pisilli. The win was built on the bench: Mora headed in a decisive goal, and Malen added a third for Roma against Cagliari, scoring the winner with a sharp finish. Gasperini's side were far from comfortable for long spells, and the match was tough and rugged throughout. The game was tense and difficult for the hosts. Roma's attacking DNA left space at the back, and Cagliari exploited it, particularly when they raised the tempo. Gollini was outstanding in goal, making several saves, while Soulé also earned praise for his performance. Ghilardi, who came on in the 81st minute, made an immediate impact with a sharp overlap and a cross that drew praise. Gasperini directed the team from the first minutes and was seen gesturing to his players and taking off his jacket during a tense spell. Lulli had a standout display, scoring the first goal after a fine run and an elegant finish, and he also assisted Pisilli for the second. Lulli's new contract was described as a boost of pure energy. Pisilli, who had to defend an accidental handball early on that was punished after the on-field review, recovered with a quick, sharp finish. Molina created the equaliser with a sharp turn and a perfect cross, though his flank was the quieter one in the first half. Mora's goal came with a header, and he celebrated with a line that the short guy is often forgotten. Mora was praised for his talent and humour. Malen came on and created chaos before his decisive finish. Rensch, who replaced Lulli in the 76th minute, was caught out on the flank as Cagliari levelled, nearly complicating matters further. De Roon was praised for his workrate despite the rotation, and Castro struggled to find his rhythm, touching the ball only 17 times after the break. Mancini had a mixed match, starting as a centre-forward and firing an early shot at Caprile, but was visibly tired and was outpaced by Fadera before being replaced by Ghilardi. Koulierakis won several duels and made a crucial save in one instance, though his build-up play was still a work in progress. N'Dicka stayed calm and held his position despite Nzola's more determined attempts. Cristante was active, touching countless balls and contributing to Lulli's goal before taking a defensive role late on.

Roma are scoring at a remarkable rate this season: after a 4-0 win over Cagliari, Gian Piero Gasperini's side have 23 Serie A goals from nine matchday fixtures. According to OptaPaolo, that is the first time the giallorossi have passed 20 goals at this stage of a league campaign since 2016-17, when they scored 23 under Luciano Spalletti. The figure is especially striking when set against last season, and it underlines how many different routes to goal the team now has. Gasperini's side have shown they can strike from several sources, with Roma beating opponents in a variety of ways across the campaign. The goals have come from across the squad. Mora and Malen have contributed, but the biggest contributions have come from Pisilli and Lulli. Balerdi also scored a brace in the win over Napoli. Gasperini's team, the article notes, have seemingly endless ways of scoring and beating their opponents.

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2, with Niccolò Pisilli scoring the equaliser and Mora netting a headed goal after coming on at half-time. Cagliari were awarded a penalty early on after a rash arm from Pisilli, and Nzola converted it, but Pisilli soon levelled. Pisilli was sharp for the goal, pouncing like a falcon to beat Caprile on 20 minutes for the 2-1, though the article notes he was far from flawless, with several loose touches and a sloppy second half that nearly allowed Cagliari an equaliser. The result came in a game where Roma's defence was tested repeatedly. Nzola beat Ndicka only once, from the penalty spot, while Cagliari's striker had another dangerous chance against him. Gollini was praised for his work in goal: he was beaten by the spot-kick from Nzola, but made a crucial save on Adopo close to the line and a stop on Obert shortly before half-time. In the second half he made three saves, and the match report highlights his efficiency. The rating given to Gollini was 6.5, the same as Koulierakis and Pisilli. Mancini was given a 5 for a performance that was more like an advanced winger than a central defender. He tested Caprile early on, but his attacking runs left space for Cagliari down his flank, and Fadera exploited it to pressure him throughout. Ghilardi came on for him on 82 minutes and immediately delivered a cross for Mora, earning a 6.5 rating. De Roon was rated 5.5 after a sluggish start, needing support from Cristante when Cagliari attacked through the middle, and was replaced on 56 minutes by Mora. Mora, rated 7, took the spotlight as expectations surrounded him. His first minutes were awkward, but he produced two good assists that teammates failed to convert. He then scored with his head, despite his height not being an obvious advantage, and was also involved in the build-up to Roma's fourth goal. Molina was rated 6 for his cross play, which was visible in the build-up to the equaliser, though he offered little else in the first half. Wesley came on at half-time with a 6 rating, described as clear-minded despite recent talk about social media, alleged infidelity and money. Soulè was rated 6.5 and was involved on several occasions: he released Mancini down the right after five minutes, dropped deep to create space for teammates, and came close to scoring from a free kick. Castro was rated 5.5 for struggling to provide the depth Malen offers, and Gasperini gave him another ten minutes to prove himself. Malen replaced him on 56 minutes and was rated 7, converting the chance that came his way with a powerful finish past Caprile.