Roma-Cagliari 1-0: goal from a penalty by Sergio Oliveira at the debut

Suffering madly and also thanking luck, which in the end materializes in the crossbar of Joao Pedro. Roma thus conquered their first victory of 2022, beating Cagliari 1-0 thanks to a penalty by Sergio Oliveira, the most anticipated man, the one just arrived in Trigoria. The Portuguese had a good impact on the game, already subverting the hierarchies of the Giallorossi shooters. Well Mkhitaryan (the few Giallorossi opportunities were born from his snatches), Mourinho in the end rejoices. Less Mazzarri, who in the second half had hoped to be able to go home with a point.

Sergio immediately

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Mourinho must give up on Pellegrini, who forfeits during the warm-up. Mazzarri, on the other hand, has his problems with 11 unavailable between injured players and Covid and sides with the 3-4-1-2, with Pereiro behind Pavoletti and Joao Pedro. The match could be unlocked as early as 4 ‘, but the penalty granted by Maggioni for Carboni’s alleged foul on Zaniolo was then rightly canceled with the help of the Var. Rome. The eyes, of course, are all on Sergio Oliveira, who immediately stands out for his personality and cleanliness of the plays. The Portuguese enters on tiptoe, but it is he – for example – who triggers Veretout on the action of the first penalty (the one not granted).

And it is still him in the 33rd minute who gives Roma the lead again on a penalty, this time granted – with the Var – for an evident handball by Dalbert on his previous shot (after a nice coast to coast by Mkhitaryan). There had been frankly few occasions before (just a weak header from Abraham), just like after. Roma protests for another handball in the area by Goldaniga (who falls on the ball), while Zaniolo wastes a good restart by Felix. Cagliari, on the other hand, struggled for all the first 45 ‘of the game to find rhythm and solutions. Pavoletti and Joao Pedro don’t seem inspired, Marin in the middle never manages to come up with something good.

The management

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In the second half Cagliari takes courage and tries to rise with the center of gravity, hunting for a draw. Felix immediately wasted a restart in the open field, with the spaces immediately abounding and the two teams soon split in two by fatigue. Cragno says no to Veretout, Mazzarri plays the Nandez card at half-time (in place of Pereiro), Carboni tries it from the outside but without particular ambitions. There is little play, many contacts, even some fouls to the limit of the allowed. And then it is Zaniolo in the 28th minute who tries to close the game with an acceleration of his own, but the right-footed shot ends just outside.

Roma then curls up on itself to defend the advantage, then trying to hurt in the spaces. And if he manages to bring home the three points he must make a monument to Rui Patricio, who deflects a close-range shot by Joao Pedro that seemed to be a goal on the crossbar. Then Mourinho moves on to 3-5-2 which is more 5-3-2 (with Maitland-Niles and Vina as fifths and Karsdorp to make the arm between the three), to secure the victory. It ends like this, with Roma taking home a precious but very painful victory.