Mario Hermoso

Roma came from behind to beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico, with goals from Lulli, Pisilli, Mora and Malen, and remain four points behind the league leaders. Nzola had given Cagliari an early lead in the sixth minute, but Lulli equalised in the 11th minute. Gasperini made several changes ahead of the weekend trip to Udine. Koulierakis came in for Hermoso in defence, Wesley was left out with Lulli, who recently renewed his contract, taking his place, and Castro played alongside Soulé with Pisilli, the most advanced of the midfielders, behind them. Cristante and de Roon formed the midfield pairing, while Molina returned to start on the left. Roma had drawn at the Maradona against Napoli before this match. Pisilli put Roma ahead in the 21st minute. Maldini pulled one back for Cagliari in the 81st minute, but Mora scored in the 86th minute and Malen sealed the win in the 88th. Mora and Malen had come on for de Roon and Castro respectively at half-time, while Wesley replaced Molina in the 46th minute. Pisacane's Cagliari side were beaten by a Roma team that finished strongly after falling behind early.

Roma bounced back from their draw at the Maradona with a win over Cagliari, as goals from Mora and Malen secured three points after Maldini had equalised. The result was Gasperini's ninth consecutive positive result of this Serie A start. Speaking to Dazn shortly after the final whistle, the head coach was happy with the performance despite a flat second half. Gasperini said: "Va molto bene così. Questa sera avevamo qualche elemento in difficoltà, che non aveva recuperato al meglio. Alcuni giocatori loro, soprattutto in attacco, erano più freschi e ci mettevano in difficoltà. Il motivo è solo questo. Anche in mezzo ultimamente abbiamo giocato sempre con gli stessi uomini, per 90' ogni volta, e si è vista un po' di fatica. E' un merito ancora più grande aver vinto questa partita, un po' con i cambi e un po' con la volontà di tutti. Soprattutto sull'1-0, abbiamo avuto un ottimo momento anche di gioco. Poi anche nel finale". On the depth of the squad, Gasperini praised Ghilardi, who had recently produced strong performances. He said Ghilardi "probabilmente doveva entrare prima", but a situation made the substitution difficult, as it would have been the first change after the interval. "Sta facendo bene, è cresciuto molto rispetto all'anno scorso e troverà sempre più spazio", he added. Balerdi and Hermoso were unavailable, having left the Napoli match battered, and Gasperini said the team needed to recover. Gasperini also noted the absence of Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, and said Svilar had been less impressive while Gollini was "strepitoso". Cristante had returned after a month out and played two 90-minute matches in three days. Gasperini said: "Non avrebbe fatto 112 partite con me se non fosse stato un portiere di livello (ride, ndr). In una squadra che ha raggiunto anche la Champions e traguardi importanti. All'epoca era molto più giovane e anche più esuberante, diciamo, aveva magari meno spirito di lavorare e migliorarsi ed è stato un peccato. Già all'inizio era il terzo portiere della Nazionale. Ci siamo ritrovati a Roma e non ho mai avuto dubbi sulle sue qualità e potenzialità, abbiamo rimesso un po' di puntini a posto e da un'anno e mezzo a questa parte si allena benissimo. Sono molto felice per quello che ha fatto stasera e in queste ultime partite. Da vicino è straordinario, a volte prende gol dalla distanza ed è sempre stato un suo limite. Ma è un portiere di grande valore". On the youth products, Gasperini said: "Sono ragazzi straordinari. Nel settore giovanile della Roma ci sono sempre belle espressioni". Lulli had trained on heading the day before and scored with a header on Monday night, which Gasperini described as "non è il suo pezzo migliore, ma è stato straordinario". On Mora, Gasperini said: "Gli ho visto fare gol col Porto, simile a quello di stasera. E' piccolino, ma è molto coordinato e salta molto bene, oltre a colpire molto bene. Dà una frustata alla palla, questo è un gran gol". Asked about Mora's development, he said: "Deve formarsi dal punto di vista tecnico e fisico anche per giocare 90 minuti. Utilizzato così è una mina vagante, lo è stato anche a Napoli". Gasperini acknowledged some defensive lapses, explaining: "Questa era la sesta di continuo ogni 2-3 giorni, qualche giocatore te lo trovi stanco contro un avversario fresco come Maldini". On Dybala, he said the forward was confident after training on Monday, but recovery from injury was taking longer than expected. Gasperini added: "Con lui e Koné puntiamo il Sassuolo ma non so se sarà possibile". On Malen, he said: "Abbiamo fatto 23 gol in 9 giornate è una bella cifra. Lo scorso anno erano solo 10". He also commented on changes to Serie A, saying: "Hanno favorito il gioco del calcio, non si vede più una simulazione e i finali di partita si giocano".

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to reporters before and after his side's Serie A win over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico, the ninth matchday fixture, and said the team's second-half dip came down to fatigue and injuries rather than anything more serious. Gasperini said: "It's going very well like this. Tonight we had some players who were struggling, who hadn't fully recovered. Some of their players, especially up front, were fresher and put us under pressure. That's the only reason." He added: "Our midfield has been playing the same men every time for 90 minutes, and you could see some fatigue. Winning this game is an even greater credit, partly through the substitutions and partly through the will of everyone." The win came without a number of key players. Gasperini confirmed that Balerdi and Hermoso were unavailable as they were not in condition to play, and said Roma need time to recover. He said: "It's not easy to play so many games without Dybala, Koné, and Pellegrini, who isn't here... Svilar a little less, Gollini was sensational." Cristante returned after a month out and played two 90-minute games in three days, which Gasperini said was a factor. He also described Cagliari as a difficult side. On goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, Gasperini said: "He wouldn't have made 112 games with me if he weren't a goalkeeper of quality." He recalled that Gollini had been the third-choice goalkeeper for Italy at the start, and said: "I never had doubts about his qualities and potential. We put a few things right, and for the past year and a half he has trained superbly. I'm very happy with what he did tonight and in these last games. Up close he is extraordinary, although sometimes he concedes from distance, which has always been a limit of his. But he is a goalkeeper of great value." Gasperini praised the club's youth products after Lulli's assist for Pisilli's goal. He said: "They are wonderful boys. The Roma youth sector always produces fine talents. Lulli was training to head the ball yesterday, and today he scored with his head. It isn't his best piece, but it was extraordinary." On Mora, he said: "I saw him score against Porto, similar to tonight's goal. He is small, but very coordinated and jumps very well. He strikes the ball with real force, and that is a great goal." Asked about Mora's recent role, Gasperini said: "I'm fortunate to see the training sessions, so I decide based on those. Having not played some matches, or having played little at the end, he reacted in the best possible way. He has this speed and quickness. He is still very young and must still develop physically to last longer and to start games, perhaps even for 90 minutes. But at the moment, used this way, he is an important weapon." He noted Mora had already played a few minutes at Napoli, taking part in the move for the equaliser, and added: "Compared to the start of the year he is clearly evolving. The header, despite his height, is a sign of that." Asked whether the team's defensive lapses had cost them, Gasperini agreed in part. He said: "Yes, it has happened in other situations too. This is our sixth match in a row played every three days. You can find players who have produced important performances and then find them tired. Koulierakis played tonight in his first match. Unfortunately Balerdi and Hermoso could not play. I think the Napoli game also left some marks and knocks. We now have to recover them." He concluded: "Winning and scoring goals of this type is a great sign of strength. Rather than the negatives, I would focus on that." Asked about the squad's depth and his own role, Gasperini said: "This is a great reward, but I am very happy for these players. All of them, without exception, feel fulfilled right now. Every match counts, not just the ones against Real Madrid, Como or Inter. These matches are worth three points just like the others. Right now every player in the squad is involved and decisive. Even Gollini, for example. Wesley was not in the starting line-up, he came on only later. That is certainly one of our strengths." On Dybala, Gasperini said he had been optimistic about the forward's availability for selection, having seen him train on Sunday and Monday, but the Argentine was not available tonight. He said: "Unfortunately, when Paulo has to recover from injury, it always takes a little longer." Asked whether Dybala could be available for the trip to Udine, he gave no firm answer in the interview.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini spoke after his side's 2-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A's ninth round, and he said that a heavy run of matches means knocks are inevitable. Roma have now played six matches in a row, every two to three days. Gasperini said: "In diverse situazioni… capita quando giochi tante partite. Questa era la sesta di continuo ogni 2-3 giorni, qualche giocatore te lo trovi stanco contro un avversario fresco come Maldini." The Roma boss praised the way his squad has been used and the depth available to him. Gasperini noted that Balerdi and Hermoso came off injured against Napoli and must now be recovered, and that Cristante, back after a spell out, played 180 minutes in three days. He said: "Anche noi abbiamo tante risorse, abbiamo tante partite e per questo cerchiamo di ruotare." He added: "Grande merito aver vinto oggi, giochiamo con gli stessi da non so quante partite." On the Cagliari game itself, he admitted that some players were struggling and that Cagliari's forwards were fresher, adding: "Alcuni giocatori loro in attacco erano più frechi e ci creavano difficoltà." He said the win came partly through substitutions and partly through the willingness of everyone. On the squad as a whole, Gasperini said: "Sono contento perché tutti sono soddisfatti di quanto giocano, nessuno escluso. Queste partite valgono tre punti come le altre, in questo momento nella rosa sono tutti partecipi e determinanti, anche Gollini." He stressed that Wesley was not on the pitch in the first half and called it a major strength. On Gollini, he said: "Non avrebbe fatto 112 partite con me se non fosse stato un portiere di livello." He added: "Da vicino è straordinario, a volte prende gol dalla distanza ed è sempre stato un suo limite. Ma è un portiere di grande valore." Gasperini also said that Ghilardi has been playing well recently and will get more minutes, and that Lulli trained on heading the day before and scored with his head. On Mora, he said: "Utilizzato così è una mina vagante, lo è stato anche a Napoli." He noted that Paulo Dybala takes time to recover from injuries, saying: "Pensavamo che ci sarebbe voluto di meno ma così non è stato." Roma have scored 23 goals in nine matches, which Gasperini called "una bella cifra", against 10 at this stage last year. Gasperini also gave his view on the rule changes, saying: "Le partite sono più aperte ed è frutto in gran parte di queste regole che sono cambiate." Looking ahead, he said Roma aim to face Sassuolo with Dybala and Koné, but added: "Con lui e Koné puntiamo il Sassuolo ma non so se sarà possibile." Asked about Malen starting on the bench, he said the decision was linked to the schedule and that Castro had played two games earlier and been decisive.

Roma return to the Stadio Olimpico to face Cagliari, coached by Pisacane, after the 1-1 draw at Napoli. Gasperini has made some changes for the match. Cagliari have had a strong start to the league season but come into the game on the back of two heavy defeats, against Monza and Bologna. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Koulierakis; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Molina; Soulé, Cristante; Castro. Balerdi, who scored a brace at the Maradona in Naples, is among the substitutes, alongside Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Ghilardi, Mora, Wesley, Hermoso, Malen, Arena and Camara. Gasperini is in charge. Cagliari set up in a 5-4-1 formation: Caprile; Ze Pedro, Sugawara, Mina, Rodriguez, Obert; Romano, Deiola; Adopo, Fadera; Nzola. Their substitutes are Sherri, Radunovic, Kofler, Aurelio, Liteta, Sulev, Fazzini, Gagliardini, Ciervo, Maldini, Carlos, Mendy and Trepy. Pisacane is the Cagliari coach.

Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to make several changes as Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico in tonight's midweek ninth-round Serie A fixture, coached by Fabio Pisacane. Roma return home after a thrilling 3-3 draw away at Napoli and are looking to win three points to stay close to the top of the table. Gasperini is reportedly taking the chance of the short turnaround to change his starting eleven. Dybala is returning towards the squad but is expected to start on the bench, while Svilar, Koné and Pellegrini remain unavailable. On the Cagliari side, Winks is out with lower back pain, while Trepy is back in contention. According to the probable line-ups, Ghilardi and Balerdi could get a first-minute opportunity in defence, while Lulli and Molina are expected to operate on the flanks. Up front, Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are favoured to play behind Malen. Roma are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Balerdi; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Molina; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Cagliari are expected in a 4-2-3-1: Caprile; Sugawara, Mina, Rodríguez, Obert; Romano, Deiola; Adopo, Maldini, Fazzini; Mendy. Roma's substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Hermoso, Mancini, Wesley, Rensch, Koulierakis, Di Nunzio, De Roon, Camara and Castro. Cagliari's bench includes Sherri, Radunović, Kofler, Zé Pedro, Aurelio, Liteta, Sulev, Massolin, Gagliardini, Trepy, Kevin Carlos, Nzola, Fadera and Ciervo. The match is refereed by Feliciani of Teramo, with assistants Zingarelli and Fontani. The fourth official is Mariani, the VAR is Ghersini and the assistant VAR is Camplone.