Davide Massa has been assigned to the Como vs. Roma Serie A fight for fourth place, while Gianluca Manganiello gets Inter-Atalanta, but Daniele Doveri drops to Serie B after the Derby della Madonnina.

The AIA (Italian Referees Association) has confirmed the referees chosen for this weekend’s Serie A matches.

The biggest game of the round is arguably the showdown for Champions League qualification, as Como and Roma are locked together in the table and go head-to-head at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday.

That has been handed to experienced official Massa.

Leaders Inter try to get back on track against Atalanta, which will be officiated by Gianluca Manganiello in another top seven duel.

Notably, there is no Serie A fixture this weekend for Doveri after his work in the Derby della Madonnina, but this does not mean it is a demotion.

Instead, he is trusted with the extremely difficult and important Serie B promotion clash between Monza and Palermo, which could prove decisive for who gets to be in the top flight next season.

Serie A Week 29 referees

Torino vs. Parma (Maresca, VAR Ghersini)

Inter vs. Atalanta (Manganiello, VAR Gariglio)

Napoli vs. Lecce (Abisso, VAR Nasca)

Udinese vs. Juventus (Mariani, VAR Maggioni)

Verona vs. Genoa (Marchetti, VAR Marini)

Pisa vs. Cagliari (La Penna, VAR Paterna)

Sassuolo vs. Bologna (Bonacina, VAR Serra)

Como vs. Roma (Massa, VAR Fabbri)

Lazio vs. Milan (Guida, VAR Chiffi)

Cremonese vs. Fiorentina (Di Bello, VAR Aureliano)

Cagliari have suffered yet another devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury, as left-back Riyad Idrissi is the latest to be ruled out for six months.

The 20-year-old, who has three caps for Italy at Under-21 level, is a product of the Sardinian youth academy and had impressed this season with two goals and an assist in 26 competitive appearances.

Idrissi only latest Cagliari casualty

He featured in the 2-1 Serie A defeat to Como over the weekend, and tests showed his injury was worse than previously thought.

A club statement confirms Idrissi has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The player will go under the knife with a specialist over the next few days, but this type of injury generally requires four to six months on the sidelines.

It is something of an epidemic at Cagliari, as this season alone they have lost Andrea Belotti, Mattia Felici and Idrissi all to ACL tears.

Cesc Fabregas insists the 2-1 Como victory away to Cagliari was ‘the win I am most satisfied with this season’ due to their exhaustion after the Coppa Italia. ‘Jean Butez is ready for international duty.’

The Lariani were in Serie B only two seasons ago, yet now find themselves playing every three days in Serie A to challenge for a top four spot, and in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

They held Inter to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday evening and today didn’t drop a single point, winning 2-1 in Sardinia with Martin Baturina and Lucas Da Cunha.

Fabregas proud of Como progress

“I liked the way the lads reacted today, as this performance proves what the team is made of, they have great mentality that is growing game by game,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“We were all exhausted today, there were so many matches in a row, we were so tired. That is why this is the win I am most satisfied with this season. It is genuinely a major step forward for the team.”

It was far from a simple task, because Sebastiano Esposito’s diving header had temporarily drawn Cagliari level, and Como had to thank a Butez fingertip save on Michel Adopo.

“Como invested in young players and some of them, even if they didn’t cost very much, are world class,” insisted Fabregas.

“Since he arrived, Butez has worked like an animal. He always wants to learn more, and he knows everything depends on how much you want it. He is a leader not just for his qualities, but also in the locker room. I think he is ready to make the step up for international duty with France.”

This result puts Como temporarily in joint fourth place alongside Roma, who have a difficult trip to Genoa tomorrow evening and the distraction of the Europa League.

Are the minnows genuinely contenders for a Champions League spot?

“We are not there yet. We are on the right track, but there are many games still to go. I saw definite progress in the team today, it was one of the most difficult matches of the season, and the credit for that also goes to Fabio Pisacane for giving his identity to the Cagliari squad,” concluded Fabregas.

Como continue their march on the Champions League places with a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Como, thanks to Martin Baturina and a Lucas Da Cunha stunner.

The Lariani climbed into fifth place with back-to-back victories over Juventus and Lecce, then held Inter to a 0-0 Coppa Italia semi-final first leg draw on Tuesday. Jayden Addai was the only long-term absentee, whereas the Sardinians were decimated by injuries to Yerry Mina, Luca Mazzitelli, Gianluca Gaetano, Alessandro Deiola, Gennaro Borrelli, Mattia Felici and Andrea Belotti, so Michael Folorunsho was a False 9.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Como took the lead with their first chance of the game, winning it back in midfield, then Lucas Da Cunha’s scuffed finish turned into an assist for Martin Baturina to sweep home from close range.

Cagliari should’ve equalised on the half-hour mark, as first Michael Folorunsho’s strike was charged down, then the move continued and Ibrahim Sulemana hit a fresh-air shot on Marco Palestra’s roll across from 12 yards.

Como lost Maxi Perrone to a bruised thigh, replaced by Mergim Vojvoda and dropping Baturina into midfield.

The hosts did equalise when Palestra surged up the right from his own half and put in a cross, the Adam Obert scuffed volley turned into an accidental assist for Sebastiano Esposito’s diving header from seven yards.

Ze Pedro provided brave defending by charging down a Nico Paz screamer with his face, Juan Rodriguez doing the same on an acrobatic Alvaro Morata attempt.

Palestra was booked for simulation after squirming between two and losing his balance, but Como restored their lead thanks to a sensational strike from Lucas Da Cunha. He gathered 20 metres from goal and unleashed an unstoppable effort off the outside of the left boot, swerving into the far top corner.

A corner was flicked on by Gabriele Zappa for Semih Kilicsoy at the back post, cleared with difficulty by Marc-Oliver Kempf.

Jean Butez needed a fantastic fingertip save to push the Michel Adopo strike round the base of the near post.

Cagliari 1-2 Como

Baturina 14 (Co), Esposito 56 (Ca), Da Cunha 76 (Co)

07-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 28

Unipol Domus (Sardegna Arena)

Cagliari

Como

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

14'

Martin Baturina

2nd half

Sebastiano Esposito (Assist: Adam Obert)		56'
Marco Palestra		65'
Sebastiano Esposito		71'
		76'		Lucas Da Cunha (Assist: Ignace Van Der Brempt)
		83'		Jacobo Ramón
Alberto Dossena		89'

Match statistic

43

Possession %

57

8

Total shots

8

3

Shots on target

2

1

Shots off target

3

4

Blocked shots

3

2

Corners

3

7

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

18

Cagliari

Como

Starting lineups

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

79'

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

73'

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

79'

90

Michael Folorunsho

Midfielder

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

78'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

81'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

81'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

36'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

81'

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

62'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

Substitutes

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

39

Andrea Cogoni

Defender

38

Ivan Sulev

Midfielder

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

40

Roberto Malfitano

Midfielder

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

73'

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

78'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

79'

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

87'

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

36'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

62'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

81'

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

81'

3

Álex Valle

Defender

81'

Italy’s Delegation Chief Gigi Buffon says Marco Palestra and Michael Kayode have impressed him this season and hits at Marco Verratti’s return: ‘His call-up wouldn’t upset the players.’

Italy’s Delegation Chief Buffon gave a lengthy interview to Il Messaggero, in which he confirmed he’ll step aside if the Azzurri miss out on World Cup qualification.

Buffon, Italy’s Delegation Chief since 2023, played a role in appointing Gennaro Gattuso as Italy’s head coach in June last year.

Buffon confident ahead of Italy’s World Cup play-off

“There are coaches who are suited to certain historical moments. Rino was the right person at that moment: he’s empathetic,” Buffon said.

“He knows how to build relationships with players in an authentic, immediate way. He can foster a sense of belonging and group identity, which is always the best thing. The thing that helps you overcome obstacles, especially in the national team. The players well receive every opinion, judgment, and every thought of his, because he has experience in the dressing room.”

Italy have missed out on World Cup qualification in 2018 and 2022 and are once again involved in the play-off to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

On March 26, they’ll face Northern Ireland in the play-off semifinal, with the potential final against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Italy will play the semifinal at home in Bergamo and the final away in Wales or Bosnia.

Buffon hit back at criticism and looked confident ahead of the play-offs.

“Let’s write down some names: we are an ultra-competitive group for levels higher than what a play-off should be. We’ll go into a playoffplay-offeople like Donnarumma, Dimarco, Bastoni, Calafiori, Barella, Tonali, Retegui, Kean and Pio Esposito. I mean, how can Italy not go through? I struggle to see it,” he said.

“Then, maybe, it could happen for a third time, but at least I’d get there feeling calm, knowing that this is the reality. Then the pitch might prove us wrong, because once you are out there, a lot of other things can happen.”

Some young Italian players, including Niccolò Pisilli, Marco Palestra and Antonio Vergara, are having a good season in Serie A, but will they find a spot in the team for such crucial games this month?

“If there’s something he [Gattuso] doesn’t lack, it’s courage,” Buffon replied.

“Regardless of age, the national team is for those who deserve it. Of course, you need a certain core group; you get nowhere without one. You have to know how to use young players without burdening them with responsibilities. You must take fearlessness from young players. No one can talk about this more than I. My first appearance for Italy was in a World Cup play-off. But if you asked me now: ‘Did you realise how important the match was?’ I didn’t know a damn thing! I walked onto the field in the snow, and I was just happy to play. I told myself: go out there and enjoy it.

“A big surprise has been Palestra; he’s shown something extraordinary. Another one who’s doing well is Kayode. Vergara, too, definitely catches your attention.”

On the other hand, Italy veteran Verratti, 33, is expected to be called up, returning to the national team for the first time in nearly three years.

“Marco has always been someone who is highly appreciated in the dressing room; everyone has always had a soft spot for him,” Buffon said.

“His call-up wouldn’t upset the players. Also, because his technical quality is so high that everyone immediately recognises his unique leadership.”

Lastly, Buffon spoke about the recent incident involving Alessandro Bastoni in the Inter-Juventus match and the use of VAR.

“We spoke, and I found the whole thing a bit excessive; inevitably, the situation will die down. He’s paying far more than his actual share of the blame,” Buffon said.

“Inter-Juve confirmed that VAR is indispensable and makes you realise it must intervene in precise situations like the Kalulu incident. How can it not intervene in such a serious mistake? Who could have come up with something like that? It’s a procedure that drives you crazy. If you prevent a huge mistake, you’re helping the game of football, not harming it.

“Whoever came up with such a rule certainly isn’t a genius. There’s also something to review about physical contact: not every touch is a foul. People who have played football can help referees. There has to be a dialogue between the parties. If you blow the whistle for every contact, players realise it immediately and won’t help you; they’ll just throw themselves to the ground.”

Cesc Fabregas has dismissed any suggestion that Como’s 0-0 draw with Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg represented a missed opportunity, insisting his side performed well enough to have won the tie, and that the second leg in seven weeks’ time remains very much alive.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Serie A clash with Cagliari, the Como head coach was characteristically detailed and passionate in his defence of his side’s display against the league leaders.

“Was it a missed opportunity? Sincerely, no,” he said, with quotes via CalcioMercato.

“We had three great chances to score, including Nico Paz, and they barely threatened our goal. I would like to know how many times in recent years Inter have managed just 0.07 expected goals.”

Fabregas proud of Como performance against Inter

Fabregas was equally pointed in pushing back against any criticism of his tactical approach in the closing stages, when Como sat deep rather than chasing a winner.

“If we had gone all-out and conceded a late goal, I would not have slept,” he said.

“We controlled Inter very well. For anyone used to watching teams do that against Inter, well, good for you.”

His only genuine regret was a lack of quality in the final third, with Valle and Vojvoda both failing to convert when well-placed.

“It was not attitude or tactics, it was quality in the last moment,” he conceded. “But after 40 years, we go to Milan in seven weeks to play for a final. Is it impossible? Nothing is impossible.”

The broader context is equally remarkable. Fabregas also reflected on an extraordinary run of fixtures, nine wins, four draws and two defeats across a gruelling 63-day stretch in which Como played every four days. Only the defeat to Fiorentina, he argued, was deserved.

Saturday’s visit of Cagliari offers a chance to maintain the momentum, and Fabregas is expecting another tight affair against a well-organised side.

“I know Pisacane very well, he is doing a tremendous job,” he said. “We want to play our game and bring home three points.”

Refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi uses two Parma goals to explain the Serie A approach to impeding the goalkeeper. ‘I don’t want to see situations in other leagues with five players in the six-yard box.’

Every week, the most recent Serie A refereeing incidents are analysed in-depth with footage from the VAR booth as well as audio of their conversations with the officials on the pitch, during a regular programme called Open VAR.

This time, the under-fire designator Rocchi was the guest representing the AIA (Italian Referees Association) for yet more controversy in Week 27.

They included Milan complaints when Parma’s goal was allowed against them the week before, but a similar challenge on the goalkeeper was not penalised when Parma played Cagliari this weekend.

Rocchi rejects Premier League refereeing model

“I reiterate that the goal in Milan-Parma was valid, but I didn’t like the way it was communicated at all,” explained Rocchi.

“With Parma-Cagliari, however, referee Massimi explains the situation to the players before the corner. As long as players are standing still, we have nothing in the rules that forces us to intervene.

“In other leagues, we see up to five players just standing still inside the six-yard box. On the other hand, we should also protect the goalkeeper and allow him freedom of movement. There are some movements that impede the goalkeeper, in which case we can intervene.

“The referee did very well, because he spotted the contact between Valenti and Caprile, and awarded a foul in favour of Cagliari,” insisted Rocchi.

The reference to other leagues was primarily the Premier League, where Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has in particular struggled at Tottenham Hotspur dealing with the kind of set play crowding of the box that has traditionally not been allowed in Serie A.

That tactic is now creeping into Italian football too, and the referees are forced to explain what constitutes a foul on the goalkeeper.

“I don’t want to see situations that I see in other leagues, which would be critical situations for us,” continued Rocchi.

“I am speaking purely for Italian football here, and in my view, we cannot allow that a goalkeeper is not given the freedom to play. That does not take away from the fact that in the rulebook there’s nothing that says a player can’t stand there in the six-yard box. We will be very careful from now on evaluating these moves.”

Legendary former referee Pierluigi Collina has had his say on a number of upcoming VAR and refereeing changes that are expected to come into effect in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America: ‘The goal is to eliminate timewasting as much as possible’. 

Collina explains upcoming VAR and refereeing changes

Collina is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee and is Chair of the FIFA Referees Committee. He was in attendance for the annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Wales on Saturday. 

The IFAB is responsible for overseeing and determining the laws of the game. Its members met in Wales on Saturday to discuss and decide upon a number of changes, including new measures to combat timewasting and allowing VAR to intervene on second yellow card decisions instead of just for straight red card incidents. 

“The goal is to eliminate, or to eliminate as much as possible, timewasting that hinders the spectacle of the game,” Collina told La Gazzetta dello Sport about the upcoming changes that were decided upon on Saturday. 

“Last year we introduced the ‘eight second rule’ for goalkeepers, which has been a great success. There have been very few cases where a corner has been granted. The deterrent has worked.

“Considering the amount of time that is lost through so many goal-kicks and free-kicks, we thought we needed to find a solution.” 

Another rule that will be introduced at the FIFA World Cup is a 10-second limit for players to leave the field after a substitution has been called. If players fail to leave the pitch within the allocated 10 seconds, the replacement substitute will not be permitted to enter until the next stoppage in play, or until one minute of action has passed. 

“We already did something, making substitutes leave the pitch from the nearest point. The time limit is a more effective deterrent than the yellow card, which is sometimes seen as some sort of ‘deal’,” Collina said. ”The results in recent years in MLS show that this measure works,” he added. 

Importantly, VAR will now be able to intervene on second yellow card decisions, which had not previously been the case. 

Just two weeks ago in Serie A, Pierre Kalulu was incorrectly sent off for a second bookable offence in one of the biggest matches of the season, the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus, but the referee Federico La Penna was unable to refer the incident for review as it was not a straight red card incident. This will no longer be the case. 

Some might argue that it should always have been the case that VAR is able to intervene on second yellow card offences and not just for straight red card incidents. 

“When we decided on the VAR trial in 2016, the technology was very different,” Collina explained. “The protocol was written from scratch and took inspiration from other sports, such as rugby, and video officials had no prior experience. Today, the situation is very different. 

“We’ve been discussing it for a few years and unfortunately until now, some had not considered it to be a priority, which is a shame.” 

VAR will now also be able to review corner kick decisions, which had not previously been the case. 

“A corner is a resumption of play that always takes a certain amount of time,” Collina said. “Usually you have to wait until the centre-backs go up and the kicker often has to cross the length of the pitch. In that time, it could be the case that by simply looking at an image, you realise the decision was wrong. 

“Does it make sense to let the corner go and hope that a goal isn’t scored? It’s much better to correct the initial decision and postpone it.”

Parma’s run of consecutive victories was brought to an end this evening by a brave Cagliari side who gave Carlos Cuesta’s side a taste of their own medicine – although, the hosts did manage to salvage a point with seven minutes to play when Gaetano Oristanio scored to equalise after Michael Folorunsho’s opener.

It was a frustrating night for Parma, who had arrived at this fixture on the back of their stunning win against Milan at San Siro and will have harboured genuine ambitions of extending their winning streak. Cagliari, though, had other ideas, and produced a disciplined and determined display that deserved at least a share of the spoils.

The opening half was an evenly contested affair, with both sides creating half-chances without either goalkeeper being truly tested. Mateo Pellegrino was lively throughout for Parma, forcing Elia Caprile into a fine save in the 39th minute with a sharp effort from inside the box, while Cagliari’s Marco Palestra and Sebastiano Esposito both threatened on the counter without making the breakthrough.

Parma 1-1 Cagliari – Second half flurry sees Folorunsho & Oristanio get on the scoresheet

Cuesta rang the changes at half-time, introducing Gaetano Oristanio and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia in an attempt to shift the momentum, but it was Cagliari who struck first.

In the 63rd minute, substitute Michael Folorunsho, who had only entered the field two minutes earlier, produced a moment of genuine quality, receiving the ball outside the box and unleashing a thunderous strike into the top left corner that gave Edoardo Corvi absolutely no chance. It was a goal worthy of winning any game.

Parma pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 83rd minute when Oristanio pounced on a loose ball inside the box to fire low into the bottom left corner, sparking jubilant scenes from the home fans.

Both sides pressed for a winner in the closing stages, with further injuries to Esposito and Emanuele Valeri adding to the disruption, but neither could find the decisive moment.

A point apiece, then, and while Parma will reflect on a missed opportunity, Cagliari will take enormous encouragement from a performance that showed real character away from home.

27-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

Parma Store (Stadio Ennio Tardini)

Parma

Cagliari

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Juan Rodríguez
		40'		Alberto Dossena

2nd half

Mateo Pellegrino		56'
Lautaro Valenti		63'
		63'		Michael Folorunsho (Assist: Sebastiano Esposito)
		65'		Ibrahim Sulemana
Gaetano Oristanio		83'
		90+4'		Adam Obert

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

18

Total shots

11

4

Shots on target

5

6

Shots off target

3

8

Blocked shots

3

6

Corners

3

Offsides

2

14

Fouls

8

Parma

Cagliari

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

90'

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

46'

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

10

Adrián Bernabé

Midfielder

89'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

46'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

75'

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

87'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

87'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

63

Marlon Mena Martinez

Defender

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

46'

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

46'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

75'

25

Benja Cremaschi

Midfielder

89'

29

Franco Carboni

Defender

90'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

38

Ivan Sulev

Midfielder

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

40

Roberto Malfitano

Midfielder

90

Michael Folorunsho

Midfielder

61'

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

87'

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

87'

Parma welcome Cagliari to the Stadio Ennio Tardini tonight, as Carlos Cuesta’s side look to make it four consecutive victories against a fellow mid-table team.

The Gialloblu have picked up back-to-back-to-back wins against Bologna, then Verona, then Milan at San Siro.

Carlos Cuesta has significantly improved the club’s fortune and his pragmatic approach to tactics and team selection see them sit in 12th place, on 32 points. This gives them an eight point gap on the relegation zone and safety should be on the cards this campaign.

Cagliari, meanwhile, sit a place below Parma in 13th. The Sardinians are three points behind tonight’s opposition and they can go level on points, therefore, with a victory.

Parma vs Cagliari – Official Lineups

Parma: Corvi, Del Prato, Troilo, Valenti, Britscghi, Bernabe, Keita, Ordonez, Valeri, Strefezza, Pellegrino.

Cagliari: Caprile, Ze Pedro, Dossena, Rodriguez, Obert, Adopo, Liteta, Sulemana, Palestra, Esposito, Kilicsoy.

27-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

Parma Store (Stadio Ennio Tardini)

Parma

Cagliari

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Juan Rodríguez
		40'		Alberto Dossena

2nd half

Mateo Pellegrino		56'
Lautaro Valenti		63'
		63'		Michael Folorunsho (Assist: Sebastiano Esposito)
		65'		Ibrahim Sulemana
Gaetano Oristanio		83'
		90+4'		Adam Obert

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

18

Total shots

11

4

Shots on target

5

6

Shots off target

3

8

Blocked shots

3

6

Corners

3

Offsides

2

14

Fouls

8

Parma

Cagliari

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

90'

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

46'

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

10

Adrián Bernabé

Midfielder

89'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

46'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

75'

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

87'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

87'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

63

Marlon Mena Martinez

Defender

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

46'

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

46'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

75'

25

Benja Cremaschi

Midfielder

89'

29

Franco Carboni

Defender

90'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

38

Ivan Sulev

Midfielder

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

40

Roberto Malfitano

Midfielder

90

Michael Folorunsho

Midfielder

61'

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

87'

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

87'

Maurizio Sarri reveals why he was ‘annoyed’ at Lazio after their 0-0 draw with Cagliari, and confirms Nicolò Rovella ‘fractured his clavicle’ in a new serious injury.

The Aquile are now without a Serie A victory three rounds, as this was their second stalemate along with a 2-0 defeat to Atalanta.

Most notably, it’s their second consecutive match without finding the net, as Elia Caprile kept out the late Danilo Cataldi free kick following Yerry Mina’s red card.

Sarri outlines Lazio problems

“I was annoyed because I didn’t like a lot of the choices made by my team. This is a tough place to play, Juventus and Roma lost here recently,” Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

“This is a team we have to face moving the ball around quickly, but instead we tried to keep the ball and slow it down. I didn’t like that at all.

“It was a hard-fought match with few overall scoring opportunities for either side. We were dangerous a few times on the left for the final 20 minutes, because we introduced players who attacked there, but we should’ve done it before that.”

The lack of goals is a problem, as once again Daniel Maldini played as a False 9 this evening and struggled to make an impact.

“We are unbeaten away from home since November, and even that saw us denied a penalty at the 95^th minute. Perhaps we haven’t won as many on our travels, but I cannot ask for more from these lads,” noted Sarri.

“There are certain characteristics in the squad, so clearly Maldini will struggle to run into space, Isaksen is better at moving off the ball, while Zaccagni is not in good shape after his injury. We’ve been dealing with this since the start of the season, players are out for a month, month and a half, then we need to give them playing time so they can get up to speed.

“It’s not the only problem, of course, we’ve had others too.”

The biggest issue for Lazio tonight was seeing Rovella go off with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder, having fallen awkwardly after he was brought down.

“It is a cursed season for the reasons I won’t recap again, this evening we were missing six players injured, and unfortunately Rovella has fractured his clavicle. It’s a constant emergency situation,” noted Sarri.

They were already missing Pedro, Mario Gila, Toma Basic, Manuel Lazzari and Samuel Gigot, though Alessio Romagnoli returned from suspension.

Cagliari and Lazio shared the spoils with a goalless draw, as both sustained new injuries and Yerry Mina saw red for two bookable offences.

Both teams were coming off setbacks, as the Sardinians saw their run of three wins on the bounce cut off by two defeats to Roma and Lecce. The Aquile were pegged back 2-2 by Juventus, then lost to Atalanta. There was a lengthy absentee list for the hosts, including Michael Folorunsho, Alessandro Deiola, Gianluca Gaetano, Gennaro Borrelli, Andrea Belotti and Mattia Felici. Maurizio Sarri missed Pedro, Mario Gila, Toma Basic, Manuel Lazzari and Samuel Gigot, but at least Alessio Romagnoli returned from suspension.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Ze Pedro was unlucky not to give Cagliari the lead after 13 minutes, as his header clipped the outside of the near post on a corner.

Mattia Zaccagni nodded a corner over, then was surprised when both Michel Adopo and Alberto Dossena failed to cut out the Adam Marusic cross.

Adopo should’ve scored at the other end, ghosting between defenders to nod the Adam Obert cross wide from six yards.

Zaccagni also came sliding in and couldn’t connect with the Marusic pull-back across the face of goal, while Sebastiano Esposito turned inches off target on the Adopo assist from six yards.

The injury crisis intensified for the hosts, losing Luca Mazzitelli before half-time to a calf problem.

Elia Caprile smothered a Kenneth Taylor snapshot, but Lazio had a setback too when Nicolò Rovella fell awkwardly on his right shoulder.

Marco Palestra was a constant danger and had the ball in the net on 69 minutes when sending Pellegrini to ground with a dummy and drilling under Ivan Provedel, but was offside when running onto the Ze Pedro long ball.

Provedel got his fingertips to the Riyad Idrissi angled drive following a strong run from midfield, but Cagliari were reduced to 10 men in the final minutes.

Yerry Mina started the foul on Tijjani Noslin on the very edge of the area and continued it inside, the referee pointed initially to the spot and then awarded a free kick, but it was the second yellow card for the Colombian.

From the resulting free kick, Danilo Cataldi forced a difficult Caprile save at the near post. Cataldi also swung a great effort off the inside of the right boot from the edge of the box and it skimmed the top corner in stoppages.

Cagliari 0-0 Lazio

Sent off: Mina 85 (C)

21-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 26

Unipol Domus (Sardegna Arena)

Cagliari

Lazio

0 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Yerry Mina		25'
		45+1'		Luca Pellegrini

2nd half

Zé Pedro		56'
		64'		Oliver Provstgaard
Yerry Mina		85'

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

11

Total shots

10

2

Shots on target

3

8

Shots off target

4

1

Blocked shots

3

3

Corners

6

2

Offsides

12

Fouls

15

Cagliari

Lazio

Starting lineups

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

26

Yerry Mina

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

4

Luca Mazzitelli

Midfielder

42'

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

73'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

88'

94

Ivan Provedel

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

72'

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

72'

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

6

Nicolò Rovella

Midfielder

60'

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

60'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

84'

Substitutes

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

42'

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

73'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

88'

4

Patric

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

60'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

60'

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

72'

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

72'

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

84'

Lecce picked up a massively important 2-0 victory away against Cagliari in Serie A on Monday evening, which has lifted them out of the relegation zone at the expense of Fiorentina and has also drawn Genoa and Cremonses back into the dogfight: Omri Gandelman and Ylber Ramadani with the goals at the Unipol Domus. 

Click here to see how the teams lined up.

Riccardo Sottil came close after 28 minutes when the ball bounced up for him inside the penalty area, but the former Fiorentina man saw his shot sail over the crossbar. 

Gabriele Zappa also had an opportunity on the half volley inside the area down at the other end. The ball set up kinder for him than it did for Sottil, but he too blazed over the crossbar with his effort. 

The eventual Lecce opener couldn’t have come in much simpler circumstances. Sottil stood over a free kick just off the right flank, he lofted one into the area where January signing Gandelman rose and powered in a header from the edge of the six-yard box. 

That was the Israel international’s second goal in as many matches for the Salentini. 

It was another set-piece that indirectly led to Lecce doubling their advantage 10 minutes later. 

Another Sottil free-kick off the right was aimed at Gandelman again, but he was unable to get his head on it this time. Cagliari struggled to clear their lines, Ramadani found himself on the left corner of the penalty area and managed to squeeze a shot past Elia Caprile. 

The Cagliari stopper presumably saw the shot late, but will have been disappointed to have been beaten from that angle and range.  

This is an enormous three points for Lecce in their bid to avoid relegation to Serie B. They move out of the relegation zone and move three points above Fiorentina, and are now level on points with Genoa and Cremonese in 15th and 16th respectively.  

Cagliari now sit just four points above Lecce and have a seven-point cushion between themselves and the bottom three. 

Cagliari 0-2 Lecce

Gandelman 64’, Ramadani 76’. 

16-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 25

Unipol Domus (Sardegna Arena)

Cagliari

Lecce

0 - 2

Player statistic

2nd half

		64'		Omri Gandelman (Assist: Riccardo Sottil)
		76'		Ylber Ramadani (Assist: Lassana Coulibaly)

Match statistic

59

Possession %

41

11

Total shots

13

0

Shots on target

4

8

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

6

8

Corners

2

0

Offsides

0

16

Fouls

14

Cagliari

Lecce

Starting lineups

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

79'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

57'

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

26

Yerry Mina

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

57'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

4

Kialonda Gaspar

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

90'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

86'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

80'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

86'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

80'

Substitutes

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

39

Andrea Cogoni

Defender

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

4

Luca Mazzitelli

Midfielder

57'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

57'

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

79'

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

80

Niko Kovač

Midfielder

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

80'

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

80'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

86'

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

86'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

90'

Cagliari have reshuffled their personnel to take on an unchanged Lecce side in Monday evening’s Serie A kick-off. 

Cagliari are coming in off the back of a 2-0 defeat away against Roma last time out in Serie A, but had gone on a three-match win streak the weeks prior, including victories over Fiorentina and Juventus. 

Fabio Pisacane’s side find themselves in 13th place in the Serie A table ahead of kick-off, seven points clear of the relegation zone. 

Lecce picked up their first win in nine matches with a 2-1 victory over Udinese last time out in the league. 

Lecce are in 18th place ahead of kick-off with 21 points from 24 matches, but a draw on Monday evening will be enough for them to lift themselves out of the relegation zone at the expense of Fiorentina, who are level on points with Eusebio Di Francesco’s side as things stand. 

Cagliari have made several changes to their starting line-up following last week’s defeat against Roma. 

Yerry Mina and Adam Obert come back into the back three, while Gabriele Zappa comes back in at right wing-back. Marco Palestra is expected to play in a more advanced role on the right wing. There are also opportunities for Ibrahim Sulemana, Riyad Idrissi and Leandro Pavoletti. 

Unsurprisingly, Lecce have stuck with the exact same starting XI that beat Udinese last time out in Serie A, with Santiago Pierotti, Walid Cheddira and Riccardo Sottil leading the attack. 

Kick-off is due at 19.45 GMT. 

Cagliari vs. Lecce: Confirmed line-ups 

Cagliari (3-4-3): Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Obert; Zappa, Adopo, Sulemana, Idrissi; Palestra, Esposito, Pavoletti. 

Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone: Veiga, T.Gabriel, Gaspar, Gallo; Ramadani, Coulibaly; Pierotti, Gandelmann, Sottil; Cheddira.

16-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 25

Unipol Domus (Sardegna Arena)

Cagliari

Lecce

0 - 2

Player statistic

2nd half

		64'		Omri Gandelman (Assist: Riccardo Sottil)
		76'		Ylber Ramadani (Assist: Lassana Coulibaly)

Match statistic

59

Possession %

41

11

Total shots

13

0

Shots on target

4

8

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

6

8

Corners

2

0

Offsides

0

16

Fouls

14

Cagliari

Lecce

Starting lineups

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

79'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

57'

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

3

Riyad Idrissi

Defender

26

Yerry Mina

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

30

Leonardo Pavoletti

Attacker

57'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

4

Kialonda Gaspar

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

90'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

86'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

80'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

86'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

80'

Substitutes

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

39

Andrea Cogoni

Defender

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

4

Luca Mazzitelli

Midfielder

57'

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

57'

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

79'

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

80

Niko Kovač

Midfielder

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

80'

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

80'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

86'

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

86'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

90'

Gennaro Gattuso and his coaching staff have been busy speaking and meeting with a long list of players ahead of the World Cup play-offs in March, and according to recent reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there are currently around 50 players on the Italy national team radar. Here is a look at all of them. 

Italy have not yet secured their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and must go through the play-offs if they are to avoid missing out on the final tournament for the third cycle in a row. 

The Azzurri will play against Northern Ireland in Bergamo on March 26 in the World Cup play-off semi-final, and should they win that game, they will progress to a one-legged play-off final away against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later: A one-off knock-out match for a spot at the World Cup. 

Gattuso and his staff had sought to bring the national team squad together once more before the World Cup play-offs in March, given that they have not got together since the end of the November international break. 

This has not been possible, however, largely due to a congested fixture schedule at club level. 

Instead, Gattuso and his staff have arranged a series of meetings and dinners with groups of Italy players and national team hopefuls over the last few months in an attempt to keep the squad somewhat together. 

Here is the long list of players Gattuso has supposedly spoken to ahead of the World Cup play-offs. 

Which Italy players has Gattuso spoken to ahead of World Cup play-offs? 

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Alex Meret (Napoli). 

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Brighton/Paris FC), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Honest Ahanor (Atalanta). 

Wing-backs: Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Marco Palestra (Atalanta/Cagliari), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli). 

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Al Duhail), Nicolo Rovella (Lazio), Samuele Ricci (Milan), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna/Fiorentina), Nicolo Fagioli (Fiorentina), Cesare Casadei (Torino). 

Trequartistas/Wingers: Matteo Politano (Napoli), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta/Lazio), Nicolo Cambiaghi (Bologna), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Nicolo Zaniolo (Udinese). 

Strikers: Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Pio Esposito (Inter), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds).

Cagliari talent Marco Palestra, on loan from Atalanta, is likely to be called up by Gennaro Gattuso for Italy’s World Cup play-offs next month.

It would be the first senior call for the winger, who will celebrate his 21^st birthday on March 3.

He was only one year old when Italy last won the World Cup in 2006, but he could help the Nazionale to qualify for the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer, after missing the last two editions.

Palestra ready for senior Italy debut

According to Sky Sport Italia, Palestra will be in the squad named by Gattuso for the play-offs, which start against Northern Ireland at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo on March 26.

If they win, then the Final of the play-off will be against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 31.

A product of the Atalanta youth academy, Palestra plays on the right side of Cagliari’s 3-5-2 formation, but can also be a right-back.

He contributed one goal and four assists in 23 Serie A games for the Sardinians so far this season.

The possible absence of Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo on the right further boosts Palestra’s chances of featuring.

Gian Piero Gasperini cannot hide his joy at Donyell Malen’s arrival for Roma after the brace to beat Cagliari. ‘He is in the Gianluca Vialli mould, he will score a ton of goals.’

The Giallorossi knew that this was a big opportunity to recapture fourth place after Juventus were held to a 2-2 draw by Lazio last night.

They certainly took it, as Malen bagged a goal either side of half-time to secure the 2-0 victory, beating a Cagliari side who were coming off three consecutive wins, yet had just one shot on target.

Gasperini feels Malen brings ‘vast repertoire’ to Roma

“Undoubtedly it was a very good performance, the first half especially was played at a strong tempo,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.

“We were coming off a defeat to Udinese, but the team showed great strength of character to react to those difficulties, and also played some very good football. It’s a pity we didn’t score more goals, as it left the game somewhat open, but it was good.”

Malen really was the striker that the coach had been looking for, having criticised the movements of Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, which the former Aston Villa man seems to already understand so well.

“I am convinced he will score a ton of goals this season, so we must know how to give him the right service for his characteristics. We’ve got quality in the attack that is difficult to contain now, as he has a vast repertoire,” smiled Gasperini.

In the post-match interview, Malen had been asked if he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Serie A’s ultimate Dutch legend Marco van Basten, and blushed at the comparison.

“Van Basten was physically very different too, but I do see more similarities with Vialli, in his power, the movement to shake off markers, diagonal runs attacking the space, there is something in the Vialli mould,” insisted Gasperini.

There was also a debut for January signing Bryan Zaragoza, who seemed considerably more impressive going forward than when defending.

Now that the transfer window has closed, did Gasperini get all the characteristics he was looking for to challenge the others in the fight for the top four?

“We always try to be up to the standards of our rivals. We have caught Juventus, while Napoli and Milan are there, Inter have gone by now I think, Atalanta and Como are not far behind us. If we are up there after 24 rounds, that is important, but we want to keep growing in attack.

“The arrival of Malen certainly gives us much more. Now we hope to get some of the players back from injury, but it’s undeniable you need a prolific and efficient set of forwards, otherwise you will not achieve the prestigious targets.”

Cagliari only really threatened Roma with the attacks of wing-back Marco Palestra, who Gasperini had launched into the Atalanta squad last season.

“Palestra was born in 2005, so he’s a kid, but already a top player. We started training him with the youth team at the age of 17, but seeing as Atalanta had an Under-23 team set up by then, and we had a lot of alternatives in the role, he played for them.

“He played a bit in Serie A and the Champions League last season, so it helped, but he is now really flourishing at a young age.”

In an unusually good mood, this was also a rare match without a single VAR intervention.

“It was wonderful, it’s the best! It means everything went smoothly, we didn’t see a lot of stoppages either, so we got to see more football. When the referee sees it all and is able to judge without cameras, that’s the perfect match.”

Donyell Malen blushed at Marco van Basten comparisons after scoring three goals in his first four Serie A games for Roma. ‘I’m very happy, it was a good day.’

It was a great night for the Giallorossi, and by no means to be taken for granted considering Cagliari were coming off three consecutive victories.

Malen had scored on his Serie A debut against Torino on January 18, but these were his first goals at the Stadio Olimpico, and his first brace.

The former Aston Villa striker first beat Elia Caprile from the tightest of angles with a delicate dink, then got between defenders to slide onto the Zeki Celik roll across from the right.

Malen having ideal start at Roma

Inevitably, he was the Lega Serie A Man of the Match, so is the Dutchman looking to follow in the footsteps of Milan legend Marco van Basten in Italian football?

“Van Basten was a very special player, no!” blushed Malen on Sky Sport Italia.

“I’m very happy, a good win, I’m happy with the goals, nice assist, everybody played well, so it was a good day.”

Malen arrived on loan from Aston Villa at a cost of €2m, with option to buy for €25m that can become an obligation of Roma qualify for European football at the end of this season.

He now has an impressive three goals in just four Serie A games.

Standing next to Roma youth academy product Niccolò Pisilli, Malen was asked for a verdict on the midfielder.

“He’s amazing, I always talk to him in training, we need players with his kind of energy, and he brings that to the team.”

The Giallorossi knew that a victory would allow them to catch Juventus in joint fourth place, after the Bianconeri were held to a 2-2 draw by Lazio last night.

“It was a good performance, I tried to give my contribution, we played with a lot of intensity, and at times some quality football,” added Pisilli to Sky Sport Italia.

“A modern football player must be able to do everything, especially in midfield.”