AS Roma vs Cagliari preview - Totti refuses to get carried away

Posted Saturday, September 20, 2014 by PA

Roma captain Francesco Totti is not getting carried away by his team's impressive start to the campaign.

The Giallorossi have taken maximum points in the first two weeks of the season and head into Sunday's home match against Cagliari on the back of Wednesday's 5-1 mauling of Russian side CSKA Moscow in their Champions League group opener.

"Besides the great result against CSKA, I think what is most significant is the fact that we started the competition with a victory," Totti said to www.francescototti.com.

"Now we must be clever. We cannot get carried away, we must immediately turn our attention to our next game.

"On Sunday we face Cagliari and that should be our only focus."

Roma, who finished runners-up to Juventus last season, have shown few signs of weakness so far.

The Giallorossi lead the Serie A standings, level on six points with AC Milan and Juventus, who face each other at the San Siro on Saturday.

Rudi Garcia's men followed their 2-0 triumph over Fiorentina in their league opener with a 1-0 victory at Empoli last weekend.

The hosts are waiting on the fitness of winger Juan Manuel Iturbe, who is doubtful with a muscle injury sustained in midweek.

Roma defender Davide Astori also got hurt against CSKA and is sidelined with an ankle problem.

Sunday's game at the Stadio Olimpico will see the return of Cagliari coach Zdenek Zeman to the Italian capital for the first time since he was sacked by Roma in February 2013.

Zeman, who had been out of a job ever since, took over the Cagliari reins in June.

The Sardinian outfit, who drew 1-1 at Sassuolo in their Serie A opener, are desperate to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Atalanta last time out.

"We deserved to win against Atalanta," Cagliari captain Daniele Conti said. "They only had three shots on goal and won.

"I'm sure we will bounce back on Sunday against Roma."

Zeman will have all of his players available for the trip to Rome.