Donyell Malen bagged his first brace in the Roma jersey to beat on-form Cagliari, allowing them to catch Juventus in fourth place, with Bryan Zaragoza also making his debut.The Giallorossi missed Paul...
Donyell Malen bagged his first brace in the Roma jersey to beat on-form Cagliari, allowing them to catch Juventus in fourth place, with Bryan Zaragoza also making his debut.
The Giallorossi missed Paulo Dybala, Robinio Vaz, Mario Hermoso, Manu Koné, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson and Stephan El Shaarawy, while Gianluca Mancini played with a protective mask after surgery on a broken nose, but deadline day signing Bryan Zaragoza was on the bench. The Sardinians had won three on the bounce against Juventus, Fiorentina and Verona, and beat Roma 1-0 back on December 7 after Zeki Celik saw red. Yerry Mina, Alessandro Deiola, Michael Folorunsho, Gennaro Borrelli, Mattia Felici and Andrea Belotti missed the trip.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma competes for the ball with Sebastiano Esposi of Cagliari Calcio during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Malen was denied by a desperate Juan Rodriguez block from six yards, then Elia Caprile almost got into a terrible tangle controlling a back-pass, forced to sprint back and clear it before the ball completely crossed the line of an empty net.
Matias Soulé curled just wide of the far post, while Niccolò Pisilli rode two tackles to test Caprile at the base of the near post.
ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Matias Soule of AS Roma competes for the ball with Juan Martin Rodriguez Camejo of Cagliari Calcio during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Roma took the lead with a moment of rare skill, as Malen ran onto the Mancini through ball down the right and dinked up a delicate finish over the on-rushing Caprile to score from the tightest of angles with his right foot. It was the ex-Aston Villa striker’s first goal at the Stadio Olimpico.
Malen threatened again with a header off target at the back stick, while Daniele Ghilardi nodded a Lorenzo Pellegrini cross just wide.
Zaragoza made his debut and immediately stood up a cross for the audacious Malen scissor-kick volley at the back post, but it was Zeki Celik who provided the assist for the second Malen goal, rolling it across from the right for the tap-in from point-blank range, getting between defenders.
There was almost a third moments later, but this time Malen sliding in couldn’t connect with the Soulé ball across the six-yard box.
Zaragoza also tested Caprile at the base of the near post, but his error allowed Marco Palestra to break down the right and force a tricky Mile Svilar save.
ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Donyell Malen of AS Roma in action during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Cagliari threatened to get back into it at the 79th minute when a sudden long-range Ibrahim Sulemana scorcher clipped the top of the crossbar.
ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Evan Ndicka of AS Roma competes for the ball with Sebastiano Esposito of Cagliari Calcio during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
They also went close when Alberto Dossena at full stretch flicked inches wide of the back stick on a free kick.
Neil El Aynaoui came off the bench and immediately tested Caprile with a powerful volley.
Roma 2-0 Cagliari
Malen 25, 65 (R)
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