Gasperini and Allegri renew rivalry as Roma visit Napoli

Roma will rely on Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora to supply creativity in the attacking third for the big match at the Maradona against Napoli, with Paulo Dybala still sidelined. Soulé has already scored two goals and provided an assist so far this season. Mora, a 19-year-old Portuguese midfielder who arrived for a significant investment, has shown flashes of quality interspersed with some quieter spells, and this fixture represents his first real test of maturity. Their main job will be to play in Donyell Malen, who returns from suspension and remains, in the words of the report, the true talisman of Gasperini's Roma. The Dutch forward goes back to the stadium where, a year ago, he scored a memorable double. Gasperini hopes to have Bryan Cristante available from the start. If he is fit, Cristante could partner Marten de Roon in midfield, allowing Niccolò Pisilli to push forward into the attacking third alongside Soulé. At the back, the starting trio of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso is set to reform. On the flanks, Wesley is confirmed at left-back, while Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start ahead of Nahuel Molina on the right. The absence of Dybala and the return of Malen give Gasperini a clear shape to work with, but the match will also show how far Soulé and Mora can carry the attacking load on the road to one of the toughest venues in Serie A.

Andrea Stramaccioni previewed Napoli against Roma, highlighting the current mood at the Giallorossi and the demands of the fixture. Speaking about the side's position in the table, he said: "La Roma è un gruppo pieno di entusiasmo che di certezze ne ha molte, ma per stare lassù deve vincere partite come questa" ("Roma is a group full of enthusiasm that has plenty of certainties, but to stay up there it must win matches like this one"). Stramaccioni reserved special praise for Donyell Malen. He said: "La sua mezzaluna di smarcamento, il primo controllo orientato e la velocità mi ricordano, con i debiti paragoni, i movimenti di Shevchenko" ("His crescent-shaped run to get free, his first touch taken on the turn and his pace remind me, with the due comparisons, of the movements of Shevchenko"). On the key to the match, he added: "Saranno dieci duelli delicati. Il controllo passerà dal centrocampo e occhio alle transizioni" ("There will be ten delicate duels. Control will pass through midfield and we must watch out for the transitions"). The fixture also pits two very different ownership models against each other. Aurelio De Laurentiis has built Napoli around self-sufficiency, while Dan Friedkin has backed Roma directly with huge investment. According to the report, Friedkin is said to have spent a total of 1.06 billion euros from summer 2020 to December 2025, of which 824 million went towards running the club. Forbes puts Friedkin's personal fortune at 12.8 billion dollars. Roma's accounts remain in loss, although the deficit has been progressively reduced in recent financial years.

Roma travel to Naples to face Napoli at the Maradona in a big-match clash, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini must still do without Mile Svilar, Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala. Cristante and Donyell Malen are back, with Cristante pushing for a starting place in the three-quarter role, where he is locked in a battle with Rodrigo Mora. Malen is described as an undisputed fixture in the Giallorossi attack. Evan N'Dicka returns to the back line, and Emanuele Lulli is expected at right-back. The Italian newspapers largely agree on the shape Gasperini is likely to use. Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica both predict a 3-4-2-1 with Soulé and Mora behind Malen, while Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera go with a 3-4-1-2 featuring Cristante in the hole. Tuttosport also backs a 3-4-2-1 but keeps Pisilli in midfield alongside de Roon. Across the predictions, Francesco Gollini is in goal, with Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso alongside N'Dicka in a back three, and Wesley and Lulli providing width. The four players ruled out are a significant absence for a side looking to secure a result in a fixture of this profile. Gasperini's selection options are shaped by the return of Cristante, Malen and N'Dicka, and by the continuing fight between Cristante and Mora for a central attacking berth.