AS Roma VS Cagliari

Sitting third in the top flight table with an unbeaten start to the campaign, AS Roma have claimed 5 wins and 3 draws across their opening 8 league rounds for a total of 18 points. They played out a 3-3 away draw against Napoli in their latest league fixture, before cruising to a 4-0 home thrashing of Slovan Bratislava in midweek Champions League action. Unbeaten across their past 5 outings in all competitions with 2 wins and 3 draws, the side has maintained remarkably consistent competitive form. Cagliari, their upcoming opponents, have far exceeded pre-season expectations so far, ranking 8th on the standings with 13 points from 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses in the first 8 rounds. They notched a narrow 1-0 home win over Lecce in their last league match, though their recent 3-game league run of 2 wins and 1 loss shows obvious fluctuations in form. The side sticks to a solid counter-attacking system, with their forward Mendy delivering steady finishing output and a pragmatic midfield that operates smoothly. However, they tend to play overly conservatively in away attacking phases, and struggle to come up with effective positional play solutions when facing stronger sides.