Napoli 2-2 Roma? Soulé shines as Balerdi's late brace rescues a point at the Maradona

Roma came from behind to draw 3-3 at Napoli's Maradona stadium, their third consecutive draw in a big Serie A match after a goalless game at Como. Leonardo Balerdi, who came off the bench, scored a brace, while Matías Soulé was the standout performer in attack. The evening began badly for Roma, but the team refused to give up and fought back to level the match. Italian newspapers gave Soulé between 7 and 8 out of 10, and Balerdi between 7.5 and 8. Evan Ndicka was the only member of the starting defence to come out with credit, rated 6 to 7. Gollini earned 6 to 7, Cristante 6 to 7, and de Roon 5.5 to 6.5. Malen was below par and was rated between 5 and 6. Hermoso's marks ranged from 4.5 to 6.5. Wesley was rated between 5 and 6.5, and Mancini between 5.5 and 6. Gasperini was given between 6.5 and 7 for his handling of the game. Roma made several changes during the match. At the 58th minute, Balerdi replaced Hermoso, Molina came on for Rensch, and Castro replaced Pisilli. Ghilardi entered for Mancini in the 83rd minute, and Mora came on for Malen at the same point. Molina was rated 6 to 6.5, Castro between 5 and 6.5, and Balerdi, as a substitute, was rated 7.5 to 8.

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 goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was at the heart of a wild 3-3 draw at Napoli, with a number of the goals passing through his hands. Napoli-Roma finished 3-3 at the Maradona, and the points Roma gained, or the two they lost, were decided largely by their goalkeeper. Before this match, Gollini had kept a clean sheet in Serie A, but his unbeaten run ended in the 28th minute when Anguissa scored with an overhead kick. The shot was not especially difficult, but Gollini saw the ball only at the last moment. The move began with a free kick won by a mistake from the keeper himself: his long clearance to Cristante was overhit, and the midfielder accelerated and fouled De Bruyne. After Napoli took the lead, Gollini recovered and kept Roma in the game. He saved with a sharp reaction to deny Olivera from close range, and later came off his line, outside the area, to stop De Bruyne. His teammates then fought back from 2-0 to 2-2, but Napoli regained the lead through McTominay. The goal surprised Gollini in particular, as a precise but not particularly fast effort from 25 metres went in at his near post.

Roma came from behind to draw 3-3 at Napoli's Maradona stadium, their third consecutive draw in a big Serie A match after a goalless game at Como. Leonardo Balerdi, who came off the bench, scored a brace, while Matías Soulé was the standout performer in attack. The evening began badly for Roma, but the team refused to give up and fought back to level the match. Italian newspapers gave Soulé between 7 and 8 out of 10, and Balerdi between 7.5 and 8. Evan Ndicka was the only member of the starting defence to come out with credit, rated 6 to 7. Gollini earned 6 to 7, Cristante 6 to 7, and de Roon 5.5 to 6.5. Malen was below par and was rated between 5 and 6. Hermoso's marks ranged from 4.5 to 6.5. Wesley was rated between 5 and 6.5, and Mancini between 5.5 and 6. Gasperini was given between 6.5 and 7 for his handling of the game. Roma made several changes during the match. At the 58th minute, Balerdi replaced Hermoso, Molina came on for Rensch, and Castro replaced Pisilli. Ghilardi entered for Mancini in the 83rd minute, and Mora came on for Malen at the same point. Molina was rated 6 to 6.5, Castro between 5 and 6.5, and Balerdi, as a substitute, was rated 7.5 to 8.

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 from behind to draw at Napoli, a result that leaves Gian Piero Gasperini feeling his side let a chance slip. Roma were close to suffering their first league defeat of the season before fighting back. Gasperini said: "Apart from the first half hour, I am satisfied with the performance. The morale is high, but the feeling is that we missed an opportunity." Napoli coach Allegri, who was clearly irritated, left the television interviews, muttering that he was "not lucid." Gasperini joked: "I saw that, I hope not at me, I didn't throw him out." The draw is Roma's third against a major side this season, and Gasperini said each result had felt different. "They are three different draws, but in all three we had the sense of being competitive. Against Inter we came close to winning it, against Como we played a half with ten men, and here in Naples, considering the quality of the opponents, coming back to draw was a great boost for us." Roma have also conceded a number of goals recently, seven between the Real game and the most recent match. Gasperini responded: "Without risks you don't achieve goals. I don't know if our way of playing is that risky, given also the numbers of our defence. We play the match trying to win." Gasperini praised the goals as high quality and said the team arrived well in the box through several players, helped by the energy of those who came on after the break. He singled out Soulé, who he said had put in an extraordinary performance, "him as well as the others." He went on: "We are in a great moment, we have great conviction and we play good football." Balerdi also earned praise, with Gasperini saying he had scored a brace. On Balerdi and de Roon, Gasperini said: "As I said from the start, both are leaders. In these weeks their contribution has been extraordinary from the very beginning. For de Roon it could have been easy, but Balerdi is also a player who understands football, and this time he even scored a brace." Gasperini added that he likes this Roma more and more.

Roma came from behind to draw 3-3 at Napoli's Maradona stadium, their third consecutive draw in a big Serie A match after a goalless game at Como. Leonardo Balerdi, who came off the bench, scored a brace, while Matías Soulé was the standout performer in attack. The evening began badly for Roma, but the team refused to give up and fought back to level the match. Italian newspapers gave Soulé between 7 and 8 out of 10, and Balerdi between 7.5 and 8. Evan Ndicka was the only member of the starting defence to come out with credit, rated 6 to 7. Gollini earned 6 to 7, Cristante 6 to 7, and de Roon 5.5 to 6.5. Malen was below par and was rated between 5 and 6. Hermoso's marks ranged from 4.5 to 6.5. Wesley was rated between 5 and 6.5, and Mancini between 5.5 and 6. Gasperini was given between 6.5 and 7 for his handling of the game. Roma made several changes during the match. At the 58th minute, Balerdi replaced Hermoso, Molina came on for Rensch, and Castro replaced Pisilli. Ghilardi entered for Mancini in the 83rd minute, and Mora came on for Malen at the same point. Molina was rated 6 to 6.5, Castro between 5 and 6.5, and Balerdi, as a substitute, was rated 7.5 to 8.

Roma came back from behind to draw 3-3 with Napoli at the Maradona in a thrilling Serie A clash, with Leonardo Balerdi scoring the decisive equaliser late on. Napoli, who went ahead through Anguissa's spectacular overhead kick, were pegged back after the break as Soulé pulled Roma level. Gasperini's switch, bringing on Balerdi, paid off immediately: the Argentine defender, just on the pitch, scored the leveller and took advantage of a Napoli wobble. McTominay restored Napoli's lead before Roma struck again. Balerdi got his second goal of the match in the final minutes, in a finish that was protested by the home side after the equaliser was contested. The game was billed as one of the best seen so far in Serie A for pace, tactical approach and twists. Massimiliano Allegri abandoned caution, deploying De Bruyne as a number ten, a move the report describes as a happy intuition, and McTominay gave Napoli the lead. Anguissa opened the scoring with a magnificent overhead kick. Napoli played the best match of their season, facing Roma openly, but Malen missed a clear chance one-on-one with Meret. Napoli's familiar dip in tension at the start of the second half allowed Roma back into the contest. After the final whistle, tension ran high. Allegri, visibly furious about a red card and the refereeing, said: "Them again, they had it in their pocket. An instinctive reaction that silences you when, with calm heads, you analyse the match," said the Livorno-born coach. "A very good game from both teams, but there are also moments when you have to defend. Unfortunately, we let them come back many times and tonight we threw two points away. I said nothing to the referee, but whichever way I move, they send me off. This time, with the fine, we'll do some more charity." Gasperini lamented the chances his side wasted, while praising their spirit: "We felt we could win it, but in the end it's fine like this. I saw a Napoli side that is growing a lot, but for me the glass half full is something he simply doesn't see. The result, our only declared target, is missing." The draw leaves Roma's high league position intact and confirms their steely character.

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 from behind to draw 3-3 at Napoli's Maradona stadium, their third consecutive draw in a big Serie A match after a goalless game at Como. Leonardo Balerdi, who came off the bench, scored a brace, while Matías Soulé was the standout performer in attack. The evening began badly for Roma, but the team refused to give up and fought back to level the match. Italian newspapers gave Soulé between 7 and 8 out of 10, and Balerdi between 7.5 and 8. Evan Ndicka was the only member of the starting defence to come out with credit, rated 6 to 7. Gollini earned 6 to 7, Cristante 6 to 7, and de Roon 5.5 to 6.5. Malen was below par and was rated between 5 and 6. Hermoso's marks ranged from 4.5 to 6.5. Wesley was rated between 5 and 6.5, and Mancini between 5.5 and 6. Gasperini was given between 6.5 and 7 for his handling of the game. Roma made several changes during the match. At the 58th minute, Balerdi replaced Hermoso, Molina came on for Rensch, and Castro replaced Pisilli. Ghilardi entered for Mancini in the 83rd minute, and Mora came on for Malen at the same point. Molina was rated 6 to 6.5, Castro between 5 and 6.5, and Balerdi, as a substitute, was rated 7.5 to 8.

Leonardo Balerdi scored a brace as Roma fought back to draw 2-2 with Napoli, with Paulo Dybala's team-mate Matías Soulé also finding the net. Balerdi's double rescued coach Gian Piero Gasperini's side and took him to 12 goals this season. Soulé provided a moment of quality for the Giallorossi, but it was Balerdi who turned the match. Balerdi became the first Roma player to score twice in a match this season, and his goals take him to 12 for the campaign. Roma had trailed to Napoli before the Argentine defender hauled them back, and the point was a result that kept the team in touch with the leaders. Balerdi joined the club in August, and he has quickly established himself as one of the team's leaders. Balerdi said: "It's the first time I've scored two goals in the same game. I get further forward, and I saw it from Mancini and Hermoso. We wanted to win, but at least we're bringing a point home." On settling in, he added: "I'm very happy here, I said it from the first day. It feels like I've been here two or three years. That gives me the strength to play the way I am playing." His form has made the question of a permanent deal look straightforward. Reaching the threshold of playing 55% of matches (at least 45 minutes) would trigger the obligation to buy at €14 million. The former Marseille defender has won over everyone in just a few weeks. Nahuel Molina also made a decisive contribution after coming on. Molina said: "I've always played on the right, but I'm fine on the left too. Wherever I play, I'm happy. I came to help the team in every way possible. We don't win the big matches? We could have done more, but the important thing is that we have never lost." Roma now host Cagliari on Tuesday at the Stadio Olimpico, with the aim of collecting three points to keep pace with Inter and Lazio. Dybala is also expected to return to the squad for the Cagliari game.

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..."