AS Roma will host Cagliari this Sunday in the 22nd Round of the 2021/22 Serie A season.
Venue: Stadio Olimpico
Key Statistics
AS Roma have lost their last two league games, conceding seven goals in both games.
The hosts have received 65 yellow cards and five red cards this season, which is more than any other side in the league.
They have kept five clean sheets across their last seven Serie A home head-to-head against Cagliari.
Cagliari have failed to score in three of their last four away games.
They have conceded 22 goals away from home this season. Only Lazio (23), and Spezia (27) have conceded more.
They have scored seven goals away from home this season. Only Torino (4) and Venezia (6) have scored less.
Head to head
Cagliari have won just one of their last 15 head-to-head matches with Roma (D4, L10).
Latest performances in all competitions
AS Roma: L-L-D-W-W
Cagliari: W-W-L-L-W
AS Roma
After their disappointing loss to Juventus, Roma will look to get back to winning ways when they welcome Cagliari to the Italian capital on Sunday.
The hosts were beaten 3-4 at home by Juventus in their last league outing with the Old Lady coming back from two goals down to win the game. Jose Mourinho’s men went ahead in the 11th minute through Tammy Abraham. But Max Allegri’s men equalised through Paulo Dybala.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini put the hosts two goals up, but Manuel Locatelli and Dejan Kulusevski levelled for Juve. Moments after that, Mattia De Sciglio became the unlikely match winner after Wojciech Szczesny kept out Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini’s late penalty – consigning the hosts to yet another defeat against fellow European contenders.
The loss was Roma’s ninth loss of the season after 21 games. It is the first time since 1978-79 that they are losing this number of matches at this stage of the season. They are the only team to have both won and lost nine games this term throughout the top five European leagues.
They are still in the hunt for their first UEFA Champions League football since the 2018/19 season but are currently in seventh place, nine points behind Atalanta in fourth.
A win in this game will keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive while another loss will be bad for their confidence going forward.
Possible AS Roma starting line-up
Rui Patricio, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Chris Smalling, Marash Kumbulla, Matias Vina, Jordan Veretout, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sergio Oliveira, Carles Perez, Tammy Abraham.
Injured: Leonardo Spinazzola
Suspended: Bryan Cristante, Roger Ibanez
Not available: Ebrima Darboe, Amadou Diawara
Cagliari
After winning their opening two games of the year, Cagliari will look to make it three wins in a row when they travel to the capital this Sunday.
Their last win was against Bologna, a match they came from behind to win 2-1. Leonardo Pavoletti got the equaliser for Bologna after they had gone behind in the first half before Gaston Pereiro scored a late winner to seal three points for them.
Before the win against Bologna, they had previously beaten Sampdoria by the same scoreline at Marassi, to ensure 2022 got off to a flying start.
Despite their recent upturn in form, they come into this clash sitting in 18th place one point behind Venezia in 17th. They will be desperate to win this game and continue their recent upturn in form.
Possible Cagliari starting line-ups
Alessio Cragno, Giorgio Altare, Matteo Lovato, Andrea Carboni, Raoul Bellanova, Razvan Marin, Alberto Grassi, Alessandro Deiola, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Leonardo Pavoletti, Gaston Pereiro.
Injured: Sebastian Walukiewicz, Kevin Strootman, Marko Rog
Doubtful: Christian Oliva, Nahitan Nandez, Luca Ceppitelli
Suspended: None
Unavailable (AFCON): Keita Balde
Prediction
AS Rome 3-1 Cagliari
