A comeback built on academy goals
Roma’s 4-2 home win over Cagliari was not a comfortable one. They went behind early, then turned the game around with two goals from academy products, Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, according to [1]. Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen then came off the bench to score late and secure the points.
The night was also a rotation exercise. Gasperini had said he would decide on changes after assessing the opponent, and Malen, Mora and Mario Hermoso started among the substitutes, as [2] reported before kick-off. The bench made the difference. Cagliari had reportedly switched to a back three after a 1-1 draw with Juventus and two defeats, and they were without Harry Winks, Mattia Felici and Riyad Idrissi, yet they still scored twice in Rome.
Lulli is a notable case. The 19-year-old has become a regular in Gasperini’s rotation and has just signed a contract running to June 2031, according to [3]. That report adds that he scored his first Serie A goal in the 2-0 win over Genoa earlier this month.
Napoli draw and the unbeaten run
The Cagliari game followed a wild 3-3 draw at Napoli. Leonardo Balerdi scored twice with his head, the second an equaliser in the 89th minute, and Matías Soulé scored from long range, according to [4]. Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent off after Roma’s third goal.
That result stretched Roma’s league run. They have now gone 15 Serie A matches without defeat, a run that dates back to a 5-2 loss to Inter in early April, [5] notes. This season they have not lost in the league at all. Inter lead the table, and their only dropped points so far came in a 2-2 draw away at Roma, per [6].
The run is not without scars elsewhere. Roma lost 3-4 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League on 14 October, then bounced back with a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. The pattern is attacking and open: 23 goals scored in nine league games, but eight conceded, and two more conceded against Cagliari.
Injuries and tired legs
Gasperini was frank after the Cagliari game. He said fatigue in midfield is starting to show, according to [1], and the absentee list explains why. Paulo Dybala, goalkeeper Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini were all unavailable. Pierluigi Gollini kept goal in Svilar’s absence.
The outlook varies by player:
- Dybala: he has a calf injury that has kept him out for three games. Sky Sport Italia, quoted by [7], says he needs a few more training sessions. Roma hope he is available for Udinese and fit to start against Manchester United, but he has not been cleared.
- Svilar: he could return on Thursday or Friday and possibly be available the following week, per [5].
- Koné: he is unlikely to return before the international break.
- Pellegrini: he remains out, with no return date in the input.
With Koné and Pellegrini both absent, midfield minutes are concentrated on fewer players, which makes Gasperini’s comments about fatigue easy to understand.
What it means
Roma sit third in Serie A with 21 points from nine games, a record of six wins, three draws and no defeats. That is a strong platform, and the goal difference of +15 says the team is creating chances as well as taking them. The 15-match unbeaten league run shows the results have held up across a long stretch, not just a good month.
The form line reads well: a win over Genoa, a draw at Napoli and a win over Cagliari in the league, plus a heavy Champions League win in between. The concern is the squad rather than the results. Gasperini has admitted midfield fatigue, four first-team players were out against Cagliari, and the games keep coming.
The next fixture asks a clear question: can a rotated, patched-up side keep the run alive at Udinese on 31 October? Dybala’s availability is the main uncertainty, and Svilar’s possible return would settle the goalkeeper position. The young players who just delivered, Lulli, Pisilli and the substitutes Mora and Malen, will likely be needed again. The site’s forecast for Udinese v Roma locks 24 hours before kick-off, and it will be graded publicly afterwards.
Sources
- Football Italia: Gasperini: ‘A precious Roma win, youth players have talent’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Gasperini: ‘Roma need to keep everyone in top shape, Castro decisive’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Lulli renews Roma contract to 2031: how much he will earn football-italia.net ↩
- The Guardian: McTominay stars in Napoli draw that leaves Allegri ‘not lucid enough’ to talk theguardian.com ↩
- Football Italia: Gasperini: ‘Unfortunate’ Allegri outburst, Dybala ‘might’ be back for Cagliari football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan make Serie A history: Whose unbeaten run will last longest? football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Official: Dybala left out of Roma squad for Cagliari clash football-italia.net ↩
