AS Roma vs Napoli Review
Napoli climbed to joint first place in Serie A as David Neres’ first-half goal secured a vital 1-0 victory against title contenders AS Roma, extending Gli Azzurri’s strong head-to-head record to just one loss in 12 encounters (7 wins, 4 draws). Roma, who began the evening two points ahead of Napoli after their best 12-game start since the 2017/18 season (9 wins, 3 losses), were eager to reclaim the top spot following Milan’s win over Lazio on Saturday. However, it was Gli Azzurri who took the initiative at the Stadio Olimpico, with Rasmus Højlund’s early shot saved by Mile Svilar and Giovanni Di Lorenzo firing a powerful volley just wide from eight yards.
As the first half went on, Napoli kept up the pressure, forcing Svilar to quickly block a dangerous cross-shot from Noa Lang. However, Roma also created a few chances at the other end, though Evan Ferguson missed the target both times. Napoli took advantage and earned a well-deserved lead in the 36th minute. A brilliant counter-attack ended with Højlund setting up David Neres, who calmly finished with a clever chip over Svilar.
At the start of the second half, Antonio Conte’s team tried to extend their lead, with Scott McTominay’s close-range shot being saved bravely by Svilar. Still, since five of Roma’s seven home league goals this season have come after halftime, there was a strong expectation that the Giallorossi would step up their game. To keep up their reputation for a strong second-half performance, Gian Piero Gasperini brought on Paulo Dybala and Neil El Aynaoui as the match entered the final 30 minutes.
Despite dominating possession in the final third, clear scoring opportunities were scarce until the last minute of the 90th minute, when Tommaso Baldanzi’s low shot was skillfully saved by Vanja Milinković-Savić. This was the home team’s best opportunity to secure a late equalizer, but Napoli remained strong and managed to overtake Roma in the Serie A standings.
