Naples and Rome put on a show; Balerdi’s two goals secure a 3-3 draw
Spectacle and goals in the big match of Serie A’s eighth matchday, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Roma came back from a 2-0 deficit against Napoli, then equalized again after McTominay’s goal, earning a valuable point to stay in the top 3 of the standings.
The match got off to a fast start, with Napoli posing a threat on the counterattack thanks to Kevin De Bruyne, who was deployed in an unusual dual role as both playmaker and game-builder. The Azzurri threatened through Højlund and Lang, while Roma responded with runs by Malen and Cristante, who kept Meret on his toes.
The deadlock was broken in the 27th minute, when Anguissa scored a spectacular overhead kick, sending the ball on an unstoppable trajectory past Gollini. The Giallorossi goalkeeper prevented a heavier deficit late in the first half—notably with a splendid save against Olivera—allowing his team to head into halftime trailing by just one goal.
Napoli came out strong in the second half and doubled their lead in the 48th minute through McTominay, who, after an initial header was parried by Gollini, managed to slot the ball home from close range. Roma seemed on the ropes but reacted with substitutions and increased their attacking pressure. Castro’s entry allowed the Giallorossi to play with three forwards, while Malen grew into the game as the minutes passed.
In the 70th minute, Malen provided the assist for Soulé, who narrowed the gap with a shot from the edge of the box. Just four minutes later, Roma completed the comeback: following a corner kick, Balerdi was in the right place in the box and tapped in to make it 2-2.
The Giallorossi nearly took the lead through Castro, but in the 83rd minute, Napoli regained the lead. Olivera found McTominay, who made no mistake and scored his second goal of the match to make it 3-2 for the Azzurri. The match, however, wasn’t over yet. In the 88th minute, it was Balerdi again who caught the opposing defense off guard, completing a sensational brace and setting the final score at 3-3.
In the closing minutes, Napoli protested a challenge on Beukema, which was ruled not a foul, while Allegri lost his cool and was sent off in the 90th minute. In the six minutes of stoppage time, the score remained unchanged: Roma and Napoli split the points at the end of a thrilling match.
For Gasperini, it’s a valuable draw that allows the Giallorossi to remain in third place with 18 points. Napoli, meanwhile, moves up to 11 points and must come to terms with a missed opportunity after having led by two goals.
