Roma vs Cagliari – News and Probable Lineups

Following a stretch of three matches without a win, Roma will aim to rejuvenate their push for a top-four finish on Monday, as they host a confident Cagliari at Stadio Olimpico.

However, the visitors, riding high after three consecutive Serie A victories, will look to maintain their momentum and secure another win against Roma after their triumph in December in Sardinia.

Match overview

Having achieved back-to-back victories in the middle of last month, Roma has since experienced two draws and a defeat, hindering their earlier positive momentum.

In context, the draws against AC Milan and Panathinaikos – with the latter being away while down to ten men, securing a top-eight Europa League finish – were commendable efforts.

Nonetheless, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side delivered a disappointing performance against Udinese on Monday, suffering a 1-0 defeat after yielding a deflected free-kick.

Despite this setback, Roma has secured 14 wins out of 23 Serie A encounters thus far, marking their best record at this point in the season since 2017 when they ultimately finished second.

This season, the Giallorossi aim to achieve a coveted top-four finish – and the long-awaited return to the Champions League – but must contend with the likes of Juventus, Como, and Atalanta BC in the race.

As such, they cannot allow themselves to falter at home against Cagliari, whom they have defeated without conceding in their last three encounters at Stadio Olimpico.

On the other hand, Cagliari is determined to achieve a league double over Roma for just the second time in history, having secured a 1-0 victory in the previous fixture in early December.

This long-awaited win broke the Rossoblu’s slide down the table and ignited a revival, bringing them closer to safety.

Now positioned mid-table, Cagliari has claimed victory in their last three league games – matching their total wins from the preceding 17 – and are on track to secure another season in Serie A.

After their win against Juventus, they triumphed over Fiorentina in Florence, and most recently crushed Hellas Verona 4-0.

Thus, the Sardinian team is now aiming for four successive top-flight wins, a feat they have not accomplished since October 2012.

No matter the outcome in Rome, rookie coach Fabio Pisacane has showcased his abilities: Cagliari has amassed their highest points total at this stage in a top-flight campaign in six years.

Team News

Roma continues to deal with the absences of key player Manu Kone and injury-prone playmaker Paulo Dybala, while Stephan El Shaarawy is also expected to be sidelined.

However, Evan Ferguson could return to the bench and loan signing Bryan Zaragoza may make his debut, though fellow forwards Artem Dovbyk and Robino Vaz remain unavailable.

Therefore, Donyell Malen is expected to keep leading Roma’s attack, having received high praise from Gasperini. Since his arrival from Aston Villa last month, Malen ranks second in Serie A for shots, although he has only found the back of the net once.

Meanwhile, Cagliari will be missing Michael Folorunsho, Andrea Belotti, and Mattia Felici, yet Pisacane has otherwise a full squad available.

Once again, Besiktas loanee Semih Kilicsoy should hold off the competition from Gennaro Borrelli to start up front, with Sebastiano Esposito likely providing support.

Having made an impressive entrance in 2026, Kilicsoy increased his Serie A tally to four goals last week, while Marco Palestra has been consistently impressive throughout the season.

Given his top-flight debut by Gasperini last term – when both were with Atalanta – the hard-working wing-back has contributed to five goals so far.

Roma probable starting XI:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Wesley; Soule, Pellegrini; Malen

Cagliari probable starting XI:

Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Rodriguez; Palestra, Adopo, Gaetano, Mazzitelli, Obert; Esposito, Kilicsoy

While Cagliari represents a genuine threat in their current form, Roma is expected to narrowly triumph in a closely contested match at the Olimpico.

The hosts are particularly difficult to beat on their home ground, having conceded only six league goals all season.