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Napoli‑Roma: a six‑goal circus that left everyone clutching their scarves
The San Paolo turned into a carnival midway through the night, with both sides swapping leads as often as a pizza delivery in a rush hour. Napoli’s early advantage (1‑0 at the break) seemed like a pre‑game promise, but Roma answered with a volley‑filled second half that turned the match into a three‑goal thriller on each side.
Napoli’s opening goal came from a set‑piece where Juan Miranda rose above the defence, his header finding the net with textbook precision. The Belgian maestro, Kevin De Bruyne, orchestrated the early tempo, slipping passes that forced Roma’s back line into uncomfortable positions. Both men earned a respectable 7.38/10 – solid, but not spectacular enough to seal the win.
Roma, however, had a different script. Nico Paz arrived on the pitch like a kid with a secret weapon, threading a 70‑meter through ball to Dybala, who curled a left‑footed finish that left Napoli’s keeper grasping at air. Paz’s vision earned him an 8.0, the highest rating on the night. Dybala, flirting with a hat‑trick, nudged a 7.99, while his partner Donyell Malen kept the pressure alive with two incisive runs and a crucial equaliser, meriting a 7.73. Emanuele Lulli, the Roma centre‑half, was a wall in the 70th minute, heading away a dangerous cross and earning the same 7.73.
The drama peaked in the 78th minute when Napoli thought they’d sealed the deal, only for Roma’s late surge to level the score at 3‑3. The final whistle sounded like a polite applause for a match that could have been a cup final. Napoli’s defence, despite Miranda’s effort, looked like a sieve in the last ten minutes, while Roma’s midfield never stopped pushing, turning the game into a relentless ping‑pong of chances.
From a table perspective, the draw means no movement for either side – both clubs keep their points haul unchanged and remain stuck in the same rung of the ladder. For Napoli, it’s a missed opportunity to climb out of the mid‑table mire; for Roma, it’s a point gained but not enough to mount a serious challenge to the leaders. In short, both managers walk away with a smile and a sigh.
Player Ratings
- Nico Paz (Roma) – 8.0/10
- Paulo Dybala (Roma) – 7.99/10
- Donyell Malen (Roma) – 7.73/10
- Emanuele Lulli (Roma) – 7.73/10
- Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) – 7.38/10
- Juan Miranda (Napoli) – 7.38/10