Napoli vs AS Roma Review
Napoli secured a 1-0 win against AS Roma, who suffered their fifth loss in six Serie A matches. After two games without a win, Napoli urgently needed a victory.
However, this urgency didn’t translate into strong performance at the start of the match, as they struggled to find their rhythm, although they managed to contain Roma effectively. Napoli’s only real chance in the first half came from a cross-shot by Scott McTominay that required a save, making the majority of the first half uneventful.
The initial moments of the second half were not much improved, but within ten minutes of the restart, the match finally came alive. Romelu Lukaku, who had been the focus of pre-match discussions due to facing his former team, made his mark early on. Giovanni Di Lorenzo played a crucial role in the buildup, skillfully controlling the ball and delivering a cross along the six-yard box, allowing Lukaku to easily tap it in.
Roma responded well, pushing Napoli back after falling behind, but they needed something extraordinary to equalize during Claudio Ranieri’s third debut as manager of Roma. Artem Dovbyk nearly provided that spark with a powerful header that hit the crossbar as Roma gained momentum in the attacking third. However, that was their only clear opportunity, and given that Roma had not scored an away goal after the 70th minute this season, a late equalizer seemed unlikely.
This turned out to be true, as Roma experienced their 10th consecutive away league match without a win, which clearly illustrates why they are getting closer to the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Napoli has climbed back to the top of Serie A, achieving their sixth victory in seven home league matches this season.
