Cagliari 1-0 Roma: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of Cagliari 1-0 Roma in the Serie A on Sunday, 07 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Cagliari secured a 1-0 victory over Roma at home. The first half ended goalless, with both sides creating chances but failing to convert, as Cagliari’s recent mixed form—including a draw with Genoa and losses to Juventus and Lazio—saw them start cautiously against a Roma team coming off back-to-back defeats to Napoli and Milan. Roma’s situation worsened early in the second half when Zeki Çelik received a red card in the 52nd minute for a reckless challenge, leaving them with 10 men and shifting momentum towards Cagliari.

Cagliari made substitutions around the 69th minute, bringing on Gianluca Gaetano and Matteo Prati, which helped them press their numerical advantage. The breakthrough came in the 82nd minute when Gianluca Gaetano scored, assisted by Sebastiano Esposito, capitalising on Roma’s defensive vulnerabilities after their recent wins against Cremonese and Udinese had suggested better form. Roma pushed for an equaliser but could not recover, marking another setback in their campaign.

The stats reveal a closely contested match where Roma edged possession at 53% to Cagliari’s 47%, yet Cagliari proved more effective in transitions, recording far more successful dribbles at 71 compared to Roma’s 37. Cagliari also dominated corners with four against Roma’s one, highlighting their set-piece threat, while the card count showed discipline issues for Roma, who picked up one yellow and a red, against Cagliari’s two yellows. Both teams used all five substitutions, with Cagliari’s changes proving pivotal in the latter stages, and their single assist underlined the decisive nature of their goal.

The game’s turning point arrived early in the second half when Roma’s Zeki Çelik was sent off in the 52nd minute for a reckless challenge, reducing them to 10 men and allowing Cagliari to take control. Cagliari capitalised late on, with Gianluca Gaetano scoring the winner in the 82nd minute, assisted by Sebastiano Esposito, shortly after coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute to replace Gennaro Borrelli. Other notable moments included a VAR check involving Michael Folorunsho at the 50th minute and yellow cards for Folorunsho in the 78th and Gaetano in the 83rd, as well as Roma’s Mario Hermoso booked in the 78th, but these did not alter the outcome as Cagliari held firm.

Cagliari lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, relying on a solid defensive base that allowed midfielders like Michael Folorunsho to push forward, while partnerships such as Gabriele Zappa and Adam Obert provided width before their substitutions. Gianluca Gaetano made an impact after replacing Gennaro Borrelli, linking well with Sebastiano Esposito to create the decisive moment. Matteo Prati and Riyad Idrissi also contributed after coming on, adding energy to the midfield and flanks.

Roma deployed a 3-4-2-1 setup, focusing on creative outlets like Tommaso Baldanzi and Matías Soulé before their early substitutions, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante anchoring the midfield until they were replaced by Paulo Dybala and Neil El Aynaoui. The red card to Zeki Çelik disrupted their defensive structure, forcing adjustments like Devyne Rensch coming on for Baldanzi. Konstantinos Tsimikas provided width on the left before making way for Daniele Ghilardi.

Sebastiano Esposito earned Bwin’s Man of the Match award for his influential performance, providing the assist for Gianluca Gaetano’s winning goal while creating two big chances and delivering four key passes that kept Cagliari’s attack threatening throughout.

Recent Serie A matches:

• Win: 1-0 vs Roma (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Juventus (A)
• Draw: 3-3 vs Genoa (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Como (A)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Lazio (A)

Recent Serie A matches:

• Loss: 0-1 vs Cagliari (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Napoli (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Cremonese (A)
• Win: 2-0 vs Udinese (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Milan (A)

Cagliari have just claimed a 1-0 win over Roma, boosting their position to 13th on 14 points after a run that included a draw with Genoa and losses to Juventus and Lazio. They now face Atalanta on 2025-12-13 at 19:45, with the visitors sitting 12th on 16 points, offering Cagliari a chance to close the gap and build momentum away from the lower half of the table.

Roma have just suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cagliari, leaving them fourth on 27 points following recent losses to Napoli and Milan, despite earlier wins over Cremonese and Udinese. Their next challenge is against Celtic on 2025-12-11 at 20:00, a fixture that could help them regain confidence and solidify their push for top spots, though opponent details remain to be confirmed.

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