Roma strike late to beat Cagliari 4-2 as Lazio hit six at Sassuolo

Roma scored twice in the final five minutes to beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, keeping their unbeaten start to the Serie A season intact, while Lazio put six past Sassuolo to move provisionally top of the table.

The two Rome clubs now sit first and third. Lazio have 25 points from nine games, The Straits Times reported, with Roma four points behind on 21, according to Gulf News. Inter, on 22, visit Venezia on Wednesday.

Late goals rescue Roma

It did not start well for Roma. Cagliari led after 10 minutes when M'Bala Nzola converted a penalty, awarded for a handball by Niccolo Pisilli.

The response was quick. Emanuele Lulli headed in Nahuel Molina's cross in the 15th minute, and six minutes later Pisilli made amends for the penalty, volleying in Lulli's cross to put Roma 2-1 up.

That was how it stayed until the 81st minute, when Daniel Maldini equalised for Cagliari. Roma, who had drawn 3-3 at Napoli in their previous match, looked set to drop points for a second game running.

Instead, Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen scored in the 85th and 87th minutes, Gulf News reported, to turn a likely draw into a 4-2 win.

The numbers show how open it was. Gulf News reported that Roma had 60 per cent of the possession and 20 shots to Cagliari's 18, but Cagliari had more on target, nine to Roma's eight.

Roma's unbeaten run now stands at nine matches, six wins and three draws. They are third, one point behind Inter and four behind Lazio, according to Gulf News, and The Straits Times reported the win kept them one point ahead of Como. Cagliari, who had lost 2-0 at home to Bologna before this, are ninth on 13 points.

Lazio run riot despite defensive worries

Lazio's evening at Sassuolo was more emphatic, though not without alarm.

Kenneth Taylor put them ahead in the second minute. Sassuolo levelled through a Josip Sutalo own goal after a lengthy VAR check, before Gustav Isaksen and Romano Floriani Mussolini restored Lazio's control. Kristian Thorstvedt was then sent off for Sassuolo just after the half-hour mark.

Even with 10 men, Sassuolo pulled one back through Sebastiano Esposito in the 43rd minute, only for Mattia Zaccagni to make it 4-2 in first-half added time.

Zaccagni and Davide Frattesi both missed penalties, but Tijjani Noslin scored twice to complete a 6-2 win.

It was Lazio's fifth consecutive league victory, beIN SPORTS reported, and The Straits Times put them on eight wins from nine games. beIN SPORTS noted it was only the fifth time in the club's history they have avoided defeat in their first nine Serie A matches, and the first time since 1999-00. Five different scorers in a league game was also a first since March 2018 against Benevento.