Cagliari is preparing to challenge Roma with the aim of getting DonyellMalen, the young Dutch striker who scored his first brace against the rossoblù on 9 February 2026, at the Olimpico to return to form. In that match Malen scored two goals, thus starting a series of six multiple goals in SerieA and bringing the total to 24 goals in 30 appearances with the Giallorossi shirt. His first goal for Roma had come three games earlier, away to Torino, but his brace against Cagliari was the real turning point of the season.
Malen is currently on a scoring hiatus in the league: he hasn't scored in SerieA since September 14, although he continues to impress in Europe. In ten matches of the season, between the championship and the Champions League, he scored nine goals, including a brace against RealMadrid and another against SlovanBratislava. The last time they found the hole in SerieA was on 14 September, when they drew against Torino. The return to Cagliari therefore represents a crucial opportunity to break the abstinence and rekindle his bid for the top scorers.
GianPieroGasperini, who continues to look for offensive solutions for Roma, has already experimented with different attack configurations. He recently tried the Malen-Castro pairing during the match against Napoli, with the Argentine coming on in the second half, and he used the combination again in training. For the match against Cagliari, the coach plans to field a trio from the first minute, made up of Malen, Soulé and Mora, capable of exploiting dribbling, speed and quality around the Dutch center forward. The objective is to create a dynamic and versatile attack that can put Cagliari's defense in difficulty.
Cagliari, for the first time since joining SerieA, comes to play against Roma after three consecutive games without scoring in the league. If Malen can regain his form, he could not only break his scoring hiatus, but also significantly contribute to Roma's race for the top scorers. The match therefore promises to be a real test for the Dutch striker, who will have to demonstrate that he can return to his top form. With team football and Gasperini's strategy, Roma aims to make the most of this opportunity to consolidate their position in the standings and to give new impetus to the attacking department.