A comeback that kept the run alive
Roma left Napoli with a point they had to fight for. The match finished 3-3, and Roma came back from behind to get it, according to [1]. [2] reports that Scott McTominay scored twice for the hosts, while Roma’s goals came from Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi.
Soulé had a standout game and scored from long range. Balerdi headed in two goals, the second an equaliser in the 89th minute. That late strike is why Roma are still unbeaten in the league rather than carrying a first defeat into midweek.
The finish was heated. Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent off after Roma’s third goal and criticised the officiating, and [3] says Roma defender Gianluca Mancini taunted him afterwards. Mancini was also substituted shortly before the end, though the input gives no detail on why, so his availability is worth watching.
The unbeaten run in context
The 3-3 draw extended Roma’s Serie A unbeaten streak to 15 matches. [4] notes the run dates back to a 5-2 defeat to Inter in early April. In 2026-27 specifically, Roma have won five and drawn three of eight league games for 18 points, which puts them third.
The record has substance. Roma have scored 19 goals and conceded 6 in those eight matches. [5] points out that Inter’s only dropped points so far came in a 2-2 draw away at Roma. Inter sit on 22 points, while Roma and Milan are both on 18.
The unbeaten tag applies to the league, though. Roma lost 3-4 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League on 14 October. They answered with a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava in the same competition and a 2-0 league win over Genoa. A 0-0 draw at Como before that shows they have not won every league game comfortably.
Team news before Cagliari
Roma host Cagliari on Tuesday, and Gian Piero Gasperini has several decisions to make. Paulo Dybala might be available on the bench, but he is doubtful and faces a fitness test on the day of the match.
In goal, Mile Svilar could return from injury on Thursday or Friday and may be available the following week. That means he is not expected for Tuesday. Manu Koné is unlikely to be back before the international break.
Rotation is the other open question. Gasperini said he would decide after assessing the opponent, calling a changed line-up probable but not confirmed. Treat any predicted XI with caution. Leonardo Balerdi is reported as expected to start, as is Donyell Malen, but both reports carry only moderate confidence and could change if Gasperini rotates. With a Champions League tie and a hard league trip to Napoli in the last two weeks, squad freshness is a fair reason to expect some changes.
What it means
Roma are third with 18 points from eight games, four behind Inter on 22 and level with Milan. A record of five wins, three draws and no losses, with a goal difference of +13, is the profile of a side that is hard to beat. The 3-3 at Napoli shows both strengths and weaknesses. Roma can rescue points late, but they have also now conceded three in a league game.
Form points the same way. The last five results are two wins, two draws and a defeat across Serie A and the Champions League. The goals have come in bunches, with four against Slovan, two against Genoa and three twice, but there has been a goalless draw too.
The next fixture, Roma v Cagliari on 27 October, asks a different question from the Napoli game. It is about managing a thinner squad, with Dybala uncertain, Svilar and Koné out and rotation possible, while protecting a run of 15 league games without defeat. The site’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off and will be graded publicly once the result is in.
Sources
- Football Italia: Today’s Papers – Lazio fly high, Roma comeback, furious Allegri football-italia.net ↩
- The Guardian: McTominay stars in Napoli draw that leaves Allegri ‘not lucid enough’ to talk theguardian.com ↩
- Football Italia: Mancini taunts Allegri after Napoli coach sent off vs. Roma – video football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Gasperini: ‘Unfortunate’ Allegri outburst, Dybala ‘might’ be back for Cagliari football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan make Serie A history: Whose unbeaten run will last longest? football-italia.net ↩
