Cagliari VS Roma Preview: Can Gian Piero's men overcome their depleted squad to secure a victory?

[(Cagliari Calcio) Strength]:
1. Cagliari Calcio won 3 of the last 4 games in AH, performing over expectations.

[(Cagliari Calcio) Neutral]:
1. In this week's Coppa Italia match, Sebastiano Esposito scored a goal to tie the game, but the team were ultimately eliminated after losing to Napoli in a penalty shootout.
2. Full-back Mattia Felici suffered a serious knee injury during the match against Napoli but still insisted on taking part in the penalty shootout.

[(Cagliari Calcio) Weakness]:
1. Cagliari Calcio took only 4 points in the last 9 Serie A games, showing poor performances.
2. Former AS Roma striker Andrea Belotti is sidelined due to a long-term injury, while Ze Pedro and Luca Mazzitelli are also unavailable due to injuries.
3. Cagliari Calcio were winless in the last 10 games across all competitions, showing poor recent form.
4. Cagliari Calcio currently sit near the relegation zone in the league table, facing a serious situation of avoiding relegation as the gap between them and the drop zone continues to narrow.
5. Cagliari Calcio received 7 wins, 10 draws, and 22 losses in 39 encounters between the two teams, placing them at a disadvantage.

[(AS Roma) Strength]:
1. If Paulo Dybala is unable to start, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini may opt for Evan Ferguson or deploy a false nine in Tommaso Baldanzi, who is also recovering from the flu, as the focal point of the attack.
2. AS Roma won 4 of the last 5 games, revealing outstanding recent form.
3. AS Roma scored 17 goals and conceded 7 in the last 8 encounters between the two teams, having the upper hand.
4. AS Roma lost only one of the last 5 games in AH, performing over expectations.

[(AS Roma) Neutral]:
1. AS Roma will face a congested fixture of nine matches over the next 35 days, including Serie A, UEFA Europa League, and Coppa Italia, putting their squad depth to the test.
2. AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala missed some matches due to illness and has logged fewer than 500 minutes in the first 13 Serie A rounds this season, but he is expected to overcome his ailment and be available for this match.
3. Forward Leon Bailey has returned from injury, while Artem Dovbyk remains unavailable due to injury.
4. AS Roma were defeated 1–0 by Napoli last week, causing them to drop from the top of the Serie A table, though they had previously led the league standings.

[Tips]:
AS Roma are ahead of Cagliari Calcio in the table and hope to extend their lead in this game.

From the two teams' recent form, Cagliari Calcio were winless in the last 10 games across all competitions, while AS Roma won 4 of the last 5 games.

In terms of their H2H records, AS Roma have the upper hand.

The AH line is -0.75 for the away side.

Considering AS Roma's superior overall strength, they are expected to win this game.

[Recommended]:
AS Roma (-0.5/1)