The Giallorossi travel to Sardegna to open the season, and it’ll be the first official match in a Roma kit for some big summer signings. Despite the Paulo Dybala to Saudi Arabia rumors dominating the Roma news cycle and yesterday’s pre-match press conference, there’s still an important match later today. The Giallorossi kick off the 2024-2025 campaign against Cagliari, and it’ll be our first opportunity to see Roma’s big summer signings in an official match.
With that in mind, we’ll start in attack, where both Matías Soulé and Artem Dovbyk will look to have an instant impact on the scoresheet. The attacking duo, brought in for close to €70 million this summer, will spearhead a Roma trident that will also feature Stephan El Shaarawy. In spite of seemingly having one foot out the door, Paulo Dybala has traveled with the team and is available but unlikely to start.
The only player who is not available for this match is Leandro Paredes in the midfield. The Argentine will be serving a one-match suspension that carries over from the end of last season. His absence means that Roma’s third summer signing of note, Enzo Fée, will also make his Roma debut from the opening whistle. Le Fée joins Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante in the center of the park.
In defense, there’s little doubt as to which quartet will make up the back four. With Roma still looking to secure depth in the mercato at both center and right back, this part of the line-up writes itself. Angeliño will start on the left with Zeki Çelik on the right, and Gianluca Mancini and Evan N’Dicka will center that pair. Lastly, Mile Svilar gets the start between the sticks.
A Look at the Lineups
Roma (4-3-3): Svilar; Angeliño, N’Dicka, Mancini, Çelik; Le Fée, Cristante, Pellegrini; Soulé, Dovbyk, El Shaarawy.
Cagliari are without the suspended Yerry Mina and the injured Jakub Jankto, Nadir Zortea and Nicolas Viola.
Nicola is expected to start Roberto Piccoli and Zito Luvumbo up front.
Cagliari (3-5-2): Scuffet; Zappa, Wieteska, Luperto; Felici, Deiola, Prati, Marin, Augello; Luvumbo, Piccoli.
The Dybala Situation
Giallorossi star Dybala will be on the bench for Roma’s first Serie A game in 2024-25. La Joya is currently in talks with Saudi side Al Quadsiah, and Roma are pushing for a transfer mainly for financial reasons.
De Rossi: ‘I told Dybala and Roma what I think’
However, De Rossi can rely on three new signings in Sardinia as he’ll start Enzo Le Fée in central midfield, Matias Soulé and Artem Dovbyk in attack.
Leandro Paredes is suspended, while Rick Karsdorp is out of De Rossi’s project. Therefore, Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini will complete a three-man midfielder and Zeki Celik will start on the right flank in defence.
Where to Watch the Match
Pre-Match Analysis and Key Players
The home side are coming off a 3-1 win over Carrarese Calcio in their last match, but still have several matches remaining.
Mon. 26 Aug. Cagliari vs Como, Italian Serie A
The visitors are coming off a 1-1 draw against Everton in their last match, but still have several matches remaining.
Sun. Aug. 25 AS Roma vs Empoli, Italian Serie A
This will be the 91st meeting between the two teams since their inception, so they will want to start with everything this commitment and get ahead, in addition to adding a crucial victory, they will seek to give everything, leaving the balance for Roma with 40 wins, leaving 28 draws and 21 wins for Cagliari.
The Arena Sardinia, is a temporary sports facility located in the Italian city of Cagliari, its capacity is for 16,416 fans and was inaugurated September 10, 2017.
Players to Watch
Italy midfielder Nicolas Viola, 34 years old, the midfielder will play his first game this season with his club, in the past he played 11 as a starter and 15 as a substitute, managing to score 5 goals in the Italian league and 2 assists, currently has not been released this season, but will try to do to be in top condition and start in a great way this campaign.
The attacker of Argentina, Paulo Dybala, 30 years old, the attacker will play his first game this season with his club, in the past he played 25 as a starter and 3 as a substitute, managing to score 13 goals in the Italian league and 3 assists, currently he has not been released this season, but will try to do to be in optimal and possibly be his last game with this shirt.
The visitors in their last 5 matches have had a not very good performance, as they have had several draws in the last matches, their best result was the 0-4 against Barnsley, having a streak of 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss, a very unfavorable streak for the team, but they need to not make mistakes, to have confidence and start with everything this new tournament.
Everton 1 - 1 AS Roma, Aug. 10, 2024, Friendly
Barnsley 0 - 4 AS Roma, Aug. 6, 2024, Friendly match
AS Roma 1 - 1 Olympiacos, Aug. 3, 2024, Friendly Match
AS Roma 0 - 1 Toulouse, Jul. 27, 2024, Friendly Match
MFK Kosice 1 - 1 AS Roma, July 22, 2024, Friendly Match
The locals in their last 5 matches have had a not very good performance, as they have had several defeats in the last matches, their best result was the 3-1 against Carrarese, having a streak of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats, a very unfavorable streak for the team, but they need to not make mistakes, to have confidence in this season.
Cagliari 3 - 1 Carrarese, Aug. 12, 2024, Coppa Italia
Cagliari 2 - 3 Fiorentina, May 23, 2024, Italy Serie A
Sassuolo 0 - 2 Cagliari, May 19, 2024, Italy Serie A
AC Milan 5 - 1 Cagliari, May 11, 2024, Italy Serie A
Cagliari 1 - 1 Lecce, May 5, 2024, Italy Serie A
Fan Reactions and a Look Ahead
The fans of La Loba made their position clear, rejecting the negotiations between their board and Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, where they are looking to close the transfer of Paulo Dybala. The phrase “Paulo is not for sale” was painted on one of the walls of Trigoria, the club's sports complex in the Italian capital.
The fans, who have always supported their star player, do not want to lose their best player just hours before the start of the season, despite the fact that Roma have strengthened their squad with Matias Soulé.
My name is Omar Escalante and I’ll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, score updates, and news as it happens live here on VAVEL. In addition, Roma will be looking for their first win at the start of their league campaign, while Cagliari will be looking for the same, after not having a good tournament last year.
Key Takeaways
The season opener between Cagliari and Roma promises to be an intriguing clash as the Giallorossi embark on a new era under Daniele De Rossi. The transfer saga surrounding Paulo Dybala adds an extra layer of intrigue, while the debuts of three summer signings – Enzo Fée, Matías Soulé, and Artem Dovbyk – will be closely watched. Cagliari will be looking to spring a surprise on their more illustrious opponents, setting the stage for a thrilling battle at the Unipol Domus.
