Allegri's jibe at Roma over last season's Champions League spot draws sharp club response

Roma came back twice from behind to draw 3-3 at the Maradona against Napoli, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini felt his side had dropped two points. Speaking after the match, he praised his team's character and growing belief, saying the performance showed Roma can compete with many sides in Italy. Roma were under pressure for much of the first half-hour and struggled to get out of their own half, with Napoli holding the upper hand. Gasperini admitted the early spell was the one part of the game he was unhappy with. His side then found a way to get to grips with the hosts, and they levelled before half-time and continued to improve after the break. Gasperini said: "There is awareness, we are playing good football. The morale is high and the feeling is that we have lost two points. But given how the match went, it is fine like this." He added: "We played against a strong Napoli and if you are competitive against teams of this calibre it means in Italy you can compete with many teams." On the early phase of the game he said: "I am satisfied, except for the first half-hour. Napoli were superior there, we suffered it, we were in difficulty and struggled to get out. They had an extra gear." He continued: "We managed to get to grips with them and we grew, already at the end of the first half. In the second we played well, we had inside us the feeling that we could win the match, with great conviction." McTominay's goal to make it 3-2 was a heavy blow, Gasperini said, because there was little time left to respond. He added: "But inside us we felt strong and we were good at taking it back again." He also singled out Soulé and Ndicka, saying: "Soulé played an extraordinary game, exactly like Ndicka." Balerdi was decisive with a brace, and the result suggests Roma have come through another high-pressure away trip, showing they can stay in matches even at the most difficult moments.

Roma drew 2-2 at Napoli's Stadio Maradona, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he was satisfied with his side's character, though a sliver of regret remained after the team let a win slip in the final minutes. Gasperini said: "There is awareness, we play good football — the coach of Roma declares —. The morale is high and the impression is that we have lost two points. But given how the match went, it's fine even like this. Certainly we played against a strong Napoli, and if you are competitive against teams of this calibre it means you can compete with many sides in Italy." The analysis, reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, highlighted the two faces Roma showed over the 90 minutes. After half an hour of early suffering, in which the side struggled to find the right exits, Roma changed their rhythm. Gasperini said: "I am satisfied with the second half. Napoli were superior there, we suffered it, we were in difficulty and struggled to get out. They had an extra gear, Politano worked very well and he is the one who created more than one problem for us. Then we managed to get our bearings and we grew already at the end of the first half. In the second we played well, we had the feeling inside that we could win the match, with great conviction. We were good at this, there was never any frenzy. We kept our way of playing and some quality goals came too." Despite McTominay's equaliser to make it 2-2, which came at the moment of greatest Roma pressure, the squad did not fall apart. Gasperini said: "It was a hammer blow because there was little time to recover. But inside us we felt strong and we were good at taking it back again. Even if the feeling of being able to turn it around had been there earlier as well." Gasperini praised the individual performances: "Balerdi scored the goals that were asked of him, Soulé reopened it, Ndicka was a giant. Three players who seem to be living a moment of grace. Soulé played an extraordinary match, exactly like Ndicka." On the impact of substitutes, he added: "The changes gave us energy. I put Leonardo on because we were exposed to the counterattack and his speed at that moment was important, also given the booking of Hermoso. Balerdi connects the play, he has crazy energy, he is a great reinforcement. He and De Roon did not take long to settle in, we are talking about two players who were leaders at their former clubs." There is also a statistical concern: McTominay's goal was Roma's fourth conceded straight after half-time this season across Serie A and cup competitions, following Inter, Atalanta and Fenerbahçe. Gasperini played this down: "Perhaps there is also a bit of coincidence — we are talking about two valuable players. But we must also remember we were up against a great team. It takes a bit of patience, but I am sure Allegri's side is destined to climb the table." Asked about the late exchange with Allegri, he smiled: "Allegri furious? I hope he wasn't angry with me, it wasn't me who sent him off..."

Roma came from behind to draw with Napoli, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his side had shown great resilience and character away from home. Roma were still behind until the final minute, a result that leaves them feeling satisfied, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport's Andrea Pugliese, although Gasperini always aims to win and had hoped to take all three points at Napoli. Gasperini said: "There is awareness, we are playing good football. The morale is high and the feeling is that we have lost two points. But given how the match went, that is fine too. We certainly played against a strong Napoli, and if you are competitive against teams of this calibre it means you can compete with many sides in Italy." He felt the Roma side of the second half and the end of the first half was better than the side that started rather cautiously. Gasperini added: "I am satisfied, except for the first half hour. Napoli were superior to us there, we suffered it, we were in difficulty and struggled to get out. They had an extra gear, and Politano worked very well and created more than one problem for us. Then we managed to get to grips with them and grew stronger, already towards the end of the first half. In the second half we played well, we had the feeling inside that we could win the match, with great conviction. We were good at that, there was never any frenzy. We kept our way of playing and quality goals came too." Roma were pegged back despite a 3-2 scoreline in McTominay's favour that seemed to have settled the match. Gasperini said: "That was a hammer blow because there was little time to recover. But inside we felt strong and we were good at pulling it back again. Even though we had the feeling we could turn it around before." Balerdi scored the decisive goals, Soulé pulled one back, and Ndicka was a giant in defence. Gasperini said: "Soulé played an extraordinary match, exactly like Ndicka."

Roma came back twice from behind to draw 3-3 at the Maradona against Napoli, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini felt his side had dropped two points. Speaking after the match, he praised his team's character and growing belief, saying the performance showed Roma can compete with many sides in Italy. Roma were under pressure for much of the first half-hour and struggled to get out of their own half, with Napoli holding the upper hand. Gasperini admitted the early spell was the one part of the game he was unhappy with. His side then found a way to get to grips with the hosts, and they levelled before half-time and continued to improve after the break. Gasperini said: "There is awareness, we are playing good football. The morale is high and the feeling is that we have lost two points. But given how the match went, it is fine like this." He added: "We played against a strong Napoli and if you are competitive against teams of this calibre it means in Italy you can compete with many teams." On the early phase of the game he said: "I am satisfied, except for the first half-hour. Napoli were superior there, we suffered it, we were in difficulty and struggled to get out. They had an extra gear." He continued: "We managed to get to grips with them and we grew, already at the end of the first half. In the second we played well, we had inside us the feeling that we could win the match, with great conviction." McTominay's goal to make it 3-2 was a heavy blow, Gasperini said, because there was little time left to respond. He added: "But inside us we felt strong and we were good at taking it back again." He also singled out Soulé and Ndicka, saying: "Soulé played an extraordinary game, exactly like Ndicka." Balerdi was decisive with a brace, and the result suggests Roma have come through another high-pressure away trip, showing they can stay in matches even at the most difficult moments.

Roma came back from two goals down to draw 3-3 at Napoli, with Leonardo Balerdi scoring both the equaliser and the late leveller, a result that the Giallorossi reached despite missing several important players. Anguissa gave Napoli the lead at 28' with an spectacular overhead kick, and Roma had their own chances before and after that, especially through Malen and Cristante, so the Giallorossi went into the interval behind without ever having lost their grip on the match. The problem came straight after the break: McTominay headed in the 2-0 at 48' from a Politano cross. Roma have continued to concede too often in the opening minutes of the second half, and it nearly cost them dearly at the Maradona. Gasperini made changes, and from the bench Balerdi emerged as the night's standout. Matías Soulé pulled one back at 69', finishing a move with Malen with a left-footed shot into the corner. Five minutes later it was 2-2: from a corner, Castro returned the ball into the six-yard box and Balerdi drove it in with his left foot. Roma pushed on for the win rather than settling for a draw, but at 83' McTominay struck again with an angled right-foot shot after Gollini failed to close the goal down, putting Napoli 3-2 ahead. Roma kept attacking and equalised at 89': Wesley delivered a cross from the right and Balerdi, again, headed home the 3-3. It was a brace for a defender who had come off the bench, and a performance that changes how the Argentine is viewed in the squad. Gasperini now has the pleasant problem of finding room for a player who is demanding it on the pitch. The result also underlines how much the transfer market has strengthened Roma, with decisive contributions from players who would not have carried the same weight a few months ago. Roma remain unbeaten in Serie A: five wins and three draws from the first eight matchdays, 18 points, and a run of 15 consecutive league games without defeat when the end of last season is included. The loss to Real Madrid remains their only defeat of the season across Serie A and the Champions League. Lazio, after beating Parma 2-1, briefly moved alone at the top on 22 points, while Roma sit on 18 and Inter, on 19, have yet to play their eighth-round match. It is only October, and the table is still wide open. The real test, the article argues, is whether this Roma have the mental strength to stay near the top, and the answer from the Maradona was encouraging: the team made errors, conceded three goals and again started the second half poorly, yet survived its own faults. Roma have now shown they are hard to beat, and the next step will come through winning direct confrontations.

Roma came back from behind to draw 3-3 with Napoli at the Maradona, with Argentines Matías Soulé and Balerdi leading a late recovery. The match was played in front of a crowd that applauded the entertaining contest at the end, despite a grey afternoon without sun. Napoli dominated long spells, with Mctominay scoring twice and Anguissa adding a spectacular overhead kick, while Roma finished with 15 shots on target against Napoli's 24 attempts on goal. Roma spent much of the first hour struggling to find a way through, often leaving space for the counter-attacks orchestrated by De Bruyne and his team-mates. Napoli had the chance to settle on their two-goal lead but did not do so, and Roma kept believing until seconds from the final whistle, as they had against Atalanta earlier in the season. Gian Piero Gasperini set his side up without a recognised striker and with a limited midfield, yet still found a result. The draw leaves Roma with some new defensive concerns, as in this one match they conceded as many goals as in all their previous matchdays combined. Allegri, sent off for protesting late in the match, was criticised for being slow to make substitutions, leaving De Bruyne on the pitch with little left in his legs. Allegri lost his composure and left the field throwing his jacket, which his staff held back to prevent further consequences after his red card. Gasperini's approach of vertical football contrasted with Allegri's low block and systematic counter-attacks, which had seemed to vindicate Napoli's plan for much of the game. Napoli now find themselves another opportunity missed in their pursuit of the league, while Gasperini's side remain in the mix at the top with their objectives still in sight.