Cagliari's victory over Roma was marred by a series of ill-tempered incidents that left the Italian club's fans fuming. The hosts' 1-0 win, courtesy of Gianluca Gaetano's late goal, may have been a welcome respite from their mid-season slump, but it came at a cost.
The match had begun with little incident, but as the first half wore on, Roma's frustration grew as they struggled to create clear chances. The introduction of Mehmet Celik appeared to be the turning point, as he was sent off seven minutes after halftime for a reckless challenge on Michael Folorunsho.
The subsequent 10-man Roma became increasingly desperate to break through Cagliari's defense, but it wasn't until late in the game that they finally found a way through. Gaetano's clinical finish from a tight angle sealed the win, leaving Roma frustrated and Celik facing disciplinary action for his conduct on the pitch.
The defeat has left Roma fourth in the Serie A table, seven points behind Inter who remain top with 30 points after a resounding 4-0 win over Como. Napoli and Milan are also closing in, making it an intriguing final stretch of the season.
Roma's city neighbors Lazio had a more straightforward night, holding Bologna to a 1-1 draw despite playing with 10 men for much of the game. Cremonese, meanwhile, enjoyed a surprise 2-0 win over Lecce, while Jamie Vardy's absence did little to hinder his side.
In other news from Europe, Borussia Dortmund moved into third place in the Bundesliga after a comfortable 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. Julian Brandt and Nico Schlotterbeck were the goal-scorers for the visitors, who now sit one point behind second-placed RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich dominated their 5-0 win over Stuttgart to stretch their lead at the top of the league. The German giants' unbeaten run has continued, while Hoffenheim suffered their first defeat in six games.
Finally, Real Madrid will look to reduce Barcelona's four-point lead when they host Celta Vigo on Sunday night in La Liga.
The match had begun with little incident, but as the first half wore on, Roma's frustration grew as they struggled to create clear chances. The introduction of Mehmet Celik appeared to be the turning point, as he was sent off seven minutes after halftime for a reckless challenge on Michael Folorunsho.
The subsequent 10-man Roma became increasingly desperate to break through Cagliari's defense, but it wasn't until late in the game that they finally found a way through. Gaetano's clinical finish from a tight angle sealed the win, leaving Roma frustrated and Celik facing disciplinary action for his conduct on the pitch.
The defeat has left Roma fourth in the Serie A table, seven points behind Inter who remain top with 30 points after a resounding 4-0 win over Como. Napoli and Milan are also closing in, making it an intriguing final stretch of the season.
Roma's city neighbors Lazio had a more straightforward night, holding Bologna to a 1-1 draw despite playing with 10 men for much of the game. Cremonese, meanwhile, enjoyed a surprise 2-0 win over Lecce, while Jamie Vardy's absence did little to hinder his side.
In other news from Europe, Borussia Dortmund moved into third place in the Bundesliga after a comfortable 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. Julian Brandt and Nico Schlotterbeck were the goal-scorers for the visitors, who now sit one point behind second-placed RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich dominated their 5-0 win over Stuttgart to stretch their lead at the top of the league. The German giants' unbeaten run has continued, while Hoffenheim suffered their first defeat in six games.
Finally, Real Madrid will look to reduce Barcelona's four-point lead when they host Celta Vigo on Sunday night in La Liga.
Cagliari's win was def a welcome respite 4 them, but yeah that Mehmet Celik guy needs 2 take a chill pill 
Roma deserved that win tho, they were all over Cagliari's defense like a bad rash. And poor Michael Folorunsho, he got roasted by Celik lol. Anywayz, Roma might b down in the table now but dey can still make a late push 4 de championship 
. Some dude Mehmet Celik just lost his cool and that wasn't fair to the rest of Roma's squad who were giving it their all. And then Cagliari scores this late goal and suddenly everyone's happy? It just feels like the other team had it easier in the end 
. Anyway, glad we got some good European footy updates to take the mind off things 
cagliari's win over roma was super intense! u got celik sent off like 7 mins after halftime, that's so reckless 
and roma ended up losin by a single goal lol 
. I mean, I get it, the match was intense and all that, but a red card for a reckless challenge? That's just excessive 
️. 
. And it looks like Inter is still in the lead for now, which is always good news for them 
.
their season is all over the place and now this 1-0 loss against cagliari? that gaetano goal was like a sigh of relief for cagliari but also super harsh on roma fans... i feel bad for them, they've been having a tough time lately. and what's with celik getting sent off though? that's just not fair to the guy 
and yeah it's looking like Inter are gonna take the title for sure 
they got so worked up and it ended with celik getting sent off 
gotta feel bad for their fans who have to deal with all that drama... on the other hand cagliari's win gives them some much needed momentum 
and inter's 4-0 win over como is just ridiculous 
meanwhile, cagliari just chillin' at home getting a win lol what's good for roma is bad for romans...just saying 
I'm so tired of watching these matches and dealing with all the drama that comes with them. First of all, that Mehmet Celik guy is a red card waiting to happen. His tackle was reckless and deserved the ban. And to make matters worse, it seemed like Roma just gave up after he went off - they played like they were 10 men down for the whole second half! 
It's not exactly the most impressive win for them either.