Roma’s ninth Serie A matchday meeting with Cagliari had become a test of control at the Stadio Olimpico, with the hosts twice recovering from difficulty before Daniel Maldini’s 81st-minute equaliser left the contest level at 2-2.
Cagliari had struck first from the penalty spot, Roma responded with two goals before the interval, and the visitors sustained their pressure through much of the second half. Maldini’s arrival from the bench gave that pressure a decisive finish after Adam Obert’s pass opened the way.
Quick facts
- Fixture: Roma v Cagliari, Serie A Matchday 9
- Date and venue: Tuesday, 27 October 2026, Stadio Olimpico
- Score at the 82nd minute: Roma 2-2 Cagliari
- Roma scorers: Emanuele Lulli, Niccolò Pisilli
- Cagliari scorers: M’Bala Nzola, Daniel Maldini
- Key decision: VAR awarded Cagliari an early penalty for a Pisilli handball
The evening began with Cagliari carrying a threat through Alieu Fadera and Nzola. After an early corner, Nzola saw a close-range attempt blocked, while Michel Adopo’s header was also repelled.
VAR then intervened in the seventh minute, identifying a handball by Pisilli in the Roma area. Nzola converted the penalty three minutes later, placing his left-footed strike to the right of goal to give Cagliari the lead.
Roma did not allow the setback to shape the whole first half. Gianluca Mancini tested the goalkeeper, while Santiago Castro narrowly missed from close range after Emanuele Lulli’s delivery.
The equaliser came in the 15th minute. Nahuel Molina crossed from the right and Lulli headed into the top corner, bringing Roma back into the match with a finish that changed the tempo around the Olimpico.
Roma were soon ahead. Pisilli had one effort blocked before the home side worked the ball back into a dangerous area, and in the 21st minute Lulli supplied another cross for Pisilli to score from the centre of the box.
The hosts had further chances before the break, with Bryan Cristante firing wide and Matías Soulé forcing a save from a difficult long-range angle. Konstantinos Koulierakis also headed over following a corner.
Cagliari, however, remained in the contest. Adopo was stopped after Obert’s cross, Nzola had an effort blocked, and Fadera saw a shot charged down. Adopo later headed just wide as the visitors continued to find routes into Roma’s area.
Roma made a half-time change, introducing Wesley for Molina. Castro tested Cagliari’s goalkeeper early in the second period after Niccolò Pisilli’s pass, but the visitors increasingly owned the attacking moments.
Cagliari forced several set-piece situations, with Pierluigi Gollini called upon to deal with attempts from Fadera, Juan Rodríguez and Adopo. Zé Pedro headed wide from an Obert corner, while Yukinari Sugawara sent a shot over the bar.
Roma turned to Donyell Malen and Rodrigo Mora in the 56th minute, replacing Castro and Marten de Roon. Cagliari answered by sending on Paul Mendy for Nzola, before Maldini replaced Fadera and Joseph Liteta came on for Alessandro Deiola.
Malen missed Roma’s clearest counterattacking opportunity of the second half, dragging a left-footed effort wide after Mora’s assist. At the other end, Mendy was denied from close range after Maldini had created the opening.
The equaliser arrived in the 81st minute. Obert released Maldini with a through ball, and the substitute finished with his left foot from inside the area to make it 2-2.
Roma responded by replacing Mancini with Daniele Ghilardi in the 82nd minute, having earlier introduced Devyne Rensch for Lulli. The match had moved beyond the early exchange of goals into a broader measure of resilience: Roma’s first-half recovery against Cagliari’s refusal to let the game settle.
