Napoli and Roma shared six goals in a dramatic 3-3 Serie A draw on Saturday, October 24, as Scott McTominay’s brace proved insufficient to secure victory for the hosts following Leonardo Balerdi’s late equaliser at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The encounter produced spectacular finishing, missed opportunities, a controversial goalkeeping incident and a remarkable Roma comeback. Napoli twice established a two-goal advantage, but their opponents refused to surrender, scoring three times to rescue a point in an absorbing contest.
Napoli started aggressively, with Rasmus Højlund testing Roma’s defensive organisation after Kevin De Bruyne played an excellent through ball into the attacking space. Roma goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini’s intervention helped prevent an early breakthrough.
Roma responded through Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen, but Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret dealt with the danger.
The hosts eventually broke the deadlock in the 28th minute through Frank Anguissa, who produced one of the afternoon’s outstanding goals.
Following a Napoli free-kick delivered by Matteo Politano, Roma defender Marten de Roon headed the ball away, but Anguissa reacted brilliantly to execute an acrobatic bicycle kick inside the penalty area. His spectacular finish flew beyond Gollini to give Napoli a 1-0 lead.
Roma nearly equalised before the interval when Bryan Cristante rose to meet a set-piece delivery, only to see his header strike the post. Meret also produced an important intervention to deny Mathías Olivera as Napoli survived a dangerous spell.
Another controversial moment occurred when Gollini handled the ball outside his penalty area while attempting to stop De Bruyne during a Napoli attack. The home side demanded a red card, but referee Andrea Colombo allowed play to continue. VAR did not intervene, with the goalkeeper’s arm considered not to have made his body unnaturally larger.
Napoli carried their advantage into half-time and struck again just three minutes after the restart.
In the 48th minute, Politano delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area, and McTominay rose above the defensive challenge to power a header past Gollini, doubling Napoli’s lead to 2-0.
Roma responded with greater urgency and reduced the deficit in the 69th minute. Soulé finished a move involving Malen, giving the visitors renewed belief and shifting the pressure back onto Napoli’s defence.
Five minutes later, Roma completed their comeback to level the score at 2-2. Balerdi found the net in the 74th minute following a corner routine, finishing from close range to punish Napoli’s inability to defend the set piece.
The hosts, however, refused to let the momentum remain with their opponents.
McTominay restored Napoli’s lead in the 83rd minute, collecting a cut-back from Olivera before firing home to make it 3-2. His second goal appeared to have secured a crucial victory for the home side as the match entered its closing stages.
But Roma had one final response.
In the 89th minute, Wesley delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Balerdi rose to head the ball beyond Meret, completing his brace and rescuing a dramatic 3-3 draw.
The equaliser sparked further controversy, with Napoli players protesting a possible foul on Sam Beukema during the build-up. However, the goal stood, leaving the hosts frustrated after twice surrendering their advantage.
The match also featured several bookings, including cautions for Napoli defender Rafa Marín and Roma midfielders Cristante and De Roon. Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri was also involved in an angry exchange with officials over the goalkeeping incident, with reports indicating that he was sent off around the end of the match.
Ultimately, the draw reflected a contest in which Napoli demonstrated their attacking quality but struggled to maintain defensive control when Roma increased the pressure.
McTominay’s brace and Anguissa’s spectacular bicycle kick provided Napoli with memorable moments, but Balerdi’s late intervention ensured Roma left Naples with a valuable point.
For both sides, the six-goal thriller offered entertainment in abundance while highlighting the importance of defensive concentration, particularly during decisive moments late in a match.
