ROMA vs CAGLIARI 1-0 | HIGHLIGHTS | Dovbyk Wins It For Roma | Serie A 2024/25
ROMA vs CAGLIARI
Artem Dovbyk delivered the best possible riposte to the mounting criticism that had shadowed his early tenure at Roma, silencing his detractors with a match-winning goal that secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico, marking the Giallorossi’s sixth consecutive Serie A triumph and reinforcing their resurgence in the Italian top flight, though the joy of the result was tempered by yet another injury blow to Paulo Dybala, whose latest setback cast a shadow over an otherwise gritty performance. Coming off the back of a disheartening Europa League exit against Athletic Club on Thursday—a match that unraveled early with Mats Hummels’ red card after just 11 minutes—Roma’s domestic form had been a beacon of hope, with five straight league wins showcasing a resilience that had eluded them in Europe, and Dovbyk’s decisive strike against Cagliari was a testament to their ability to dig deep even when not at their fluid best. Rotation was inevitable given the quick turnaround and a mounting injury list, with Zeki Celik sidelined and key figures like Lorenzo Pellegrini and Dybala nursing fitness concerns, forcing manager Daniele De Rossi to juggle his resources against a Cagliari side that, despite missing Zito Luvumbo, Gabriele Zappa, and a misfiring Florinel Coman, adopted a compact three-man defense aimed at frustrating Roma’s attacking ambitions. Dovbyk, the Ukrainian striker who arrived from Girona with high expectations, had faced scrutiny for his slow start in the Italian capital, but his goal—a scrappy yet vital finish from a corner—proved to be the difference, lifting his spirits and those of a Roma faithful desperate for their new frontman to find his footing, even as the sight of Dybala limping off reignited familiar fears about the team’s fragility in key moments.
The match itself was a scrappy affair, defined more by missed opportunities and defensive resolve than by moments of brilliance, with Dovbyk’s early efforts hinting at his intent to make amends for recent struggles, though his finishing initially lacked the precision to break the deadlock against a stubborn Cagliari rearguard. In the opening exchanges, he fired a long-range effort over the bar, a shot that carried ambition but little threat, while Gianluca Mancini came closer when his volley from a corner appeared destined for the net, only for a cruel deflection to steer it wide and deny Roma an early lead. Dovbyk’s aerial presence was a constant menace, yet his luck deserted him as a glancing header from a pinpoint Matias Soule cross drifted agonizingly wide of the far post, and another headed attempt skewed off target, raising murmurs of frustration among the Olimpico crowd who had grown accustomed to his profligacy in recent weeks. Cagliari, for their part, were not content to merely absorb pressure, and they nearly stole the lead on the stroke of half-time when Nadir Zortea exploited space down the right flank, bursting forward with purpose before blazing his shot over from a tight angle—a let-off for Roma, who had struggled to assert control in a first half that ebbed and flowed without a defining moment. After the break, the visitors grew bolder, with Alessandro Deiola’s glancing header from a corner causing chaos in Roma’s box, the Giallorossi defense scrambling to clear their lines as Cagliari sensed an opportunity to punish their hosts’ wastefulness, a theme that persisted as the game teetered on a knife-edge, both sides trading blows in a contest that lacked rhythm but brimmed with tension.
The turning point came midway through the second half, sparked by a sequence that encapsulated both Roma’s vulnerability and their newfound resolve, as Mile Svilar’s heroics in goal kept Cagliari at bay before Dovbyk seized his moment to tilt the scales in the Giallorossi’s favor, a goal that arrived more through fortune than finesse but carried immense weight for a striker in desperate need of a boost. Moments before the breakthrough, Svilar produced a stunning reaction save to deny Roberto Piccoli, who had latched onto another Zortea cross and unleashed a venomous volley from point-blank range, only for the Roma goalkeeper to fling out an arm and preserve parity in a match that could easily have slipped away. Evan N’Dicka bolstered the rearguard with a crucial block on Piccoli soon after, thwarting another Cagliari incursion, but Roma’s profligacy persisted as Dovbyk spurned a golden chance when Tommaso Baldanzi’s incisive pass sent him clear, only for the striker to hesitate and allow the opportunity to slip through his grasp. Redemption arrived swiftly, however, from the ensuing corner, as the ball pinged around the box, bouncing off Deiola’s back in a stroke of serendipity that left Dovbyk with the simplest of tasks—sweeping home from six yards to spark wild celebrations among his teammates, who swarmed him in a show of solidarity that underscored how much this goal meant to a player under fire. It was far from a classic strike, lacking the elegance of some of his Girona exploits, but its scruffy nature mattered little in the context of Roma’s dogged pursuit of three points, and for Dovbyk, it was a lifeline, a chance to silence the doubters and reassert his value to a team that has leaned heavily on its collective spirit to navigate a grueling campaign.
Cagliari refused to roll over, their persistence ensuring Roma’s lead remained precarious until the final whistle, with Svilar again proving his worth as the visitors ramped up the pressure in search of an equalizer that would have undone Dovbyk’s heroics and plunged Roma back into the mire of self-doubt. Piccoli tested Svilar with a low, angled drive that the keeper parried with one hand, a save that kept Roma’s slender advantage intact, but the standout moment came when Yerry Mina rose to meet a free kick with a diving header from point-blank range, only for Svilar to summon an even more spectacular stop, clawing the ball away to preserve the clean sheet and cement his status as an unsung hero of this victory. Cagliari’s late flurry, spearheaded by Leonardo Pavoletti’s towering presence, kept Roma on edge, but the Giallorossi’s fortunes took a darker turn when Dybala, introduced as a substitute to inject flair, pulled up clutching the back of his left knee after attempting a back-heel flick—a fresh injury that saw him hobble off in visible distress, leaving Roma to nurse yet another blow to their attacking options. The situation deteriorated further when Devyne Rensch, another substitute, succumbed to injury in the 88th minute, effectively reducing Roma to 10 men as all substitutions had been exhausted, forcing them to cling on under mounting Cagliari pressure, with Pavoletti’s headers flashing dangerously close as the clock ticked down. Yet, through sheer determination and Svilar’s defiance, Roma held firm, their sixth straight Serie A win a testament to their grit, even as the sight of Dybala’s latest setback lingered as a bitter footnote to an otherwise triumphant evening.
For Roma, this victory was a microcosm of their season—flawed yet resolute, buoyed by individual moments like Dovbyk’s redemption but perpetually haunted by the specter of injuries that threaten to derail their momentum, with Dybala’s misfortune a stark reminder of the fragility that has plagued their campaign despite their domestic resurgence. Dovbyk’s goal, scrappy though it was, answered his critics in the most emphatic way possible, a striker’s riposte that reaffirmed his potential to be the focal point Roma envisioned when they signed him, his teammates’ embrace a sign of the unity that has carried them through adversity. Svilar’s string of saves underscored the defensive backbone that has underpinned their six-game winning streak, a run that has propelled them up the Serie A standings and restored belief after the midweek European disappointment, though the injuries to Dybala and Rensch cast a pall over the celebrations, raising questions about how De Rossi will navigate the absences of two pivotal figures in the weeks ahead. Cagliari, meanwhile, could rue their inability to convert their chances, their switch to a three-man defense offering solidity but not the cutting edge needed to pierce Roma’s resolve, leaving them to reflect on a spirited display that yielded no reward. As the Olimpico faithful roared their approval, Roma’s triumph was a hard-earned step forward, Dovbyk’s moment of glory a beacon of hope amid the injury gloom, but with Dybala’s fate uncertain and the season’s demands unrelenting, the Giallorossi’s mettle will face further tests as they strive to sustain their Serie A surge.
