Roma Name Unchanged Shape for Cagliari Visit as Gasperini's Side Chase Ninth Straight Without Defeat

Roma and Cagliari have confirmed their starting XIs for Tuesday's Serie A fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, and the team sheets settle the shape question before a ball is kicked. Roma line up in a 3-5-2: three centre-backs, five across midfield, two forwards. Cagliari answer with a 4-3-2-1, a back four shielding a three-man midfield with two players tucked behind a lone striker.

The hosts arrive third in Serie A on 18 points, unbeaten through their opening eight matches. Their last outing was a 3-3 draw at Napoli, a result that extended the run rather than ending it. Cagliari travel to the capital as the away side in a fixture Roma have historically enjoyed hosting, and the team news does nothing to shift the pre-match balance toward the visitors.

Gasperini's 3-5-2 puts the emphasis on the five across the middle, and Bryan Cristante is the named reference point in that line. With three centre-backs behind him, Roma can push the wing-backs high without leaving the back line exposed, which is the structural reason the shape is favoured at home against a side that defends in a 4-3-2-1. The two forwards stay central, occupying the Cagliari centre-backs and preventing the away side from stepping out to meet the midfield five.

Cagliari's 4-3-2-1 is the more reactive of the two setups. The back four absorbs the first line of pressure, the midfield three screens the space in front of it, and the two players behind the striker are the outlet when the ball turns over. Adam Obert, Alessandro Deiola, Alessandro Romano and Alieu Fadera are all named in the Cagliari selection, giving the visitors a mix of defensive and midfield personnel to execute that plan.

The shape matchup is the story of the team sheets. Roma's 3-5-2 against Cagliari's 4-3-2-1 creates a numerical question in central midfield: Roma's five against Cagliari's three plus the two advanced players, who must decide whether to press the Roma midfield or drop to protect the back four. If Cagliari's two stay high, Roma's midfield five can circulate the ball and feed the front two. If they drop, Cagliari concede territory but close the central lane.

Roma's unbeaten start and 18-point haul give them the platform to dictate. Cagliari's task is to make the Olimpico a slower, narrower game than the hosts want, using the 4-3-2-1 to keep the central areas crowded and force Roma wide, where the wing-backs must deliver rather than the midfield five combining through the middle.

Roma's 3-5-2 is not a defensive concession. It is a home shape built to control the middle and keep two forwards high. Cagliari's 4-3-2-1 is a response shape, designed to survive the first wave and counter through the two players behind the striker. The team sheets confirm both managers have picked the structures their seasons have been built on, and the first 20 minutes will show whether Cagliari's midfield three can hold the central lane against a five.

Kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico follows, with Roma third on 18 points and Cagliari the visitors. The lineups are in, the shapes are set, and the tactical question is now a live one rather than a preview talking point.