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.
Story Coverage10 sources on this story
Roma drew 3-3 at Napoli's Maradona after coming back from behind twice, with Anguissa, McTominay (twice) and Napoli on one side and Matías Soulé and Antonio Balerdi (two goals) on the other. Balerdi's late equaliser came in the closing minutes. Roma News reports the match as 2-2 and says a win slipped away late, and the outlets differ on the timing of Balerdi's second goal, with Forza Roma placing it in the 89th minute. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his side had dropped two points but felt the result was fine given how the match went. He was unhappy only with the first half-hour, when Napoli were superior, and praised Soulé and Ndicka. Forza Roma says Gasperini felt his side had missed an opportunity, while Retesport reports that he said the team had the belief to win. Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri left television interviews visibly irritated, and Gasperini joked that he had not thrown him out.
Gianluca Mancini, speaking to GialloRossi.net, called a point fair and said Roma had conceded three goals, the same number they had let in across the rest of the league campaign. He said the team should have managed the ball better before Anguissa's opener and that the first half had given up too many chances. He also said the newcomers had given the squad what it had been missing. Forza Roma reports that Roma are on 18 points, one more than Como and one fewer than Inter and Lazio, both of whom have yet to play. Roma News notes that McTominay's goal was the fourth Roma have conceded straight after half-time this season across Serie A and cup competitions.
AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“La Roma esce dal Maradona con un pareggio che racconta molto più del semplice 3-3 finale. Sotto nel punteggio, in difficoltà nella prima parte della gara e poi capace di reagire due volte, la squadra di Gian Piero Gasperini ha mostrato ancora una volta carattere, qualità e una crescente…”
Read the full article in Italian at TeleRadioStereo.