A heavy defeat at the Olimpico
Cagliari’s night at the Stadio Olimpico on 27 October ended in a 4-2 loss to Roma, confirmed by [1]. It was a match that offered some resistance, since Cagliari scored twice away from home, but not enough defensive control to stay in it. The same publication’s matchday roundup says Mora and Malen came off the bench for the winners, which suggests Roma’s substitutions had an effect once the game opened up, according to [2].
Roma were not at full strength. The official line-ups showed them without Dybala, Svilar, Koné and Pellegrini, with Castro, Molina and Soulé starting, as [3] reported. Cagliari still conceded four against a side missing several regular names, which will concern the coaching staff more than the scoreline alone suggests.
The two goals scored are at least a small positive. In the previous two league games Cagliari had not found the net at all, so the return to scoring, even in defeat, breaks a short drought.
A strong start that has faded
The broader picture is of a team that began well and has since lost its footing. Football Italia describes Cagliari as having fallen away after a strong start, citing a 4-0 defeat at Monza and a 2-0 home loss to Bologna in the games before Roma, per [3].
The site’s records back that up. Over the last five league results, Cagliari won 1-0 at Udinese on 19 September, drew 1-1 at home to Juventus on 11 October, then lost at Monza (0-4), at home to Bologna (0-2) and at Roma (2-4). That is one win, one draw and three defeats, and the last three have brought just two goals for and ten against.
The Juventus draw now looks like the last point of a decent run. Since then the problems have been consistent: heavy defeats away from home and an inability to score at home against Bologna. For a side that was in good shape only weeks ago, the swing in results has been sharp, and the goals-against column is the clearest sign of where things are going wrong.
Trepy’s return and the injury list
The most human story of the Roma game was off the pitch. Striker Yael Trepy came on as a substitute, about two months after nearly drowning in a swimming pool and being treated in intensive care, according to [1]. The report lists him as fit, and a return to competitive football after such an ordeal is significant whatever the result.
The squad news is less encouraging elsewhere. Harry Winks is out with a back injury suffered in the defeat to Bologna, and Felici and Idrissi are also receiving treatment, per the [3] line-up report. The same report notes Yukinari Sugawara making his first start in the fixture.
Losing Winks removes a midfield option at a time when Cagliari are shipping goals, and with two other players on the treatment table the depth is being tested. Trepy’s availability gives the attack another body, but he will need time to rebuild match sharpness after such a long absence.
What it means
The table still looks respectable. Cagliari are tenth in Serie A with 13 points from nine games, a record of four wins, one draw and four defeats, with eight goals scored and 13 conceded. The negative goal difference of minus five is the number that stands out, and nearly all of it has come in the last three matches.
The form says the early-season cushion is thinning. Three straight league defeats, with ten conceded, is the kind of run that can pull a mid-table side towards the bottom half quickly if it continues. The positives are small but real: two goals at Roma, Trepy back in the squad, and a points total that still leaves room to recover.
The next fixture is a stern one. Cagliari travel to Lazio on 1 November, and the roundup from [2] describes Lazio as the Serie A leaders, with Inter three points behind them. The same roundup’s headline points to Lazio scoring six in their latest game. Cagliari’s task is to stop the defensive leaks against one of the league’s most productive attacks, likely without Winks. The site’s forecast for that match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so no prediction is published here yet.
Sources
- Football Italia: Cagliari joy as Trepy returns 2 months after nearly drowning football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Today’s Papers: Lazio hit six, goals for everyone, over to Inter and Milan football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A official line-ups: Roma vs. Cagliari football-italia.net ↩
