Napoli vs Roma: Colombo to referee, with last season's Genoa defeat under scrutiny

Andrea Colombo of the Como section will referee the Napoli v Roma match at the Maradona on Saturday at 18:00, the big fixture of Serie A's eighth matchday. He will be assisted by Bindoni and Rossi, with Sacchi as fourth official. Aureliano will be the VAR, with Meraviglia as AVAR. Colombo, a Lombard referee, has overseen Roma 11 times, with a record of 5 wins, 5 draws and just 1 defeat. Their most recent meeting was a home game against Atalanta on 5 September, which Roma won 2-1 from behind, with goals from Hermoso and Soulé late on. Last season, Roma drew 2-2 away at Napoli, with Malen scoring twice, but the more controversial game was a defeat at Genoa. In that match, Colombo denied Roma a clear penalty for a handball by Malinovskyi on Koné's shot. The record is also positive for Napoli, who have won 7, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their 11 meetings with the Lombard referee. One of those defeats came in December 2023, when Roma beat Napoli 2-0 at the Olimpico, with goals from Pellegrini and Lukaku. Colombo's appointment is the key talking point ahead of a fixture that has historically been tight, with both sides having strong records under him. Roma will be keen to put the Genoa controversy behind them and turn their recent results into a strong performance at the Maradona.

Roma's Stadio Olimpico recorded an attendance of 64,399 for the Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava, the highest figure of all the matches played on Tuesday in the competition. The data was highlighted by Football Meets Data, a profile specialising in football statistics, which compared attendances at stadiums hosting the Champions League matchday. The Olimpico finished top of the list, ahead of venues staging high-profile fixtures such as the Parc des Princes for PSG-Barcelona and Anfield for Liverpool-Villarreal. The figure confirms the weight of the Olimpico factor on European nights and the bond between Gasperini's side and its supporters. The result is another sign of the Roma fanbase's commitment, a turnout that once again turns the Olimpico into one of the warmest and best-attended stadiums in Europe.

Roma responded to their Champions League struggles with a comfortable 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico in the third matchday of the League Phase. Gian Piero Gasperini's side also made a statement in terms of goal difference. The fixture revived a meeting between the two clubs from 15 years ago. The result comes as Italian clubs in the competition have struggled overall. Napoli, coached by Allegri, also responded, winning 4-3 at the Maradona against Bodo/Glimt, who pushed the Neapolitans all the way to the final whistle. Inter and Como are set to play later tonight, and their results will complete the picture for Italian sides in Europe's top competition. The article sets out the full standings for the Italian clubs in the League Phase after the third matchday, with Roma's margin of victory now a useful asset in the table.