Napoli and Roma shared six goals and no certainty at the Diego Armando Maradona, where a match that appeared settled twice was pulled back into doubt. Scott McTominay’s late strike put Napoli 3-2 ahead, but Leonardo Balerdi’s VAR-checked header in the 89th minute secured Roma a 3-3 draw in Serie A’s eighth round.
The contest, played on Saturday 24 October 2026, moved from Napoli control to a Roma recovery and then into a final spell in which neither side accepted a point without trying for more. Napoli had two injury-enforced changes, while Roma’s substitutes altered the direction of a restless second half.
Quick facts
- Final score: Napoli 3-3 Roma.
- Napoli scorers: Frank Anguissa, Scott McTominay twice.
- Roma scorers: Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi twice.
- Balerdi’s 89th-minute equaliser was confirmed after a VAR review.
- Matteo Politano and Benoît Badiashile went off injured for Napoli.
Napoli created the earlier openings. Rasmus Højlund forced a low save inside five minutes and later sent a close-range attempt narrowly wide, while McTominay tested Roma from distance. Roma had their own moments through Matías Soulé, Donyell Malen and Wesley, with Malen stopped after being picked out by Soulé.
Frank Anguissa broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. After Kevin De Bruyne won a foul high up the field, Anguissa finished with his right foot from the middle of the penalty area, placing the ball into the right side of the goal.
Roma pressed for a response before the interval, generating several corners and blocked efforts. Mario Hermoso, Bryan Cristante and Wesley all had shots cut out, while a De Bruyne block helped Napoli see out the first half one goal ahead.
Napoli stretch the lead
McTominay made it 2-0 two minutes after the restart, meeting Politano’s cross from close range and directing a header low inside the left post. Roma continued to create chances, however, and Malen missed from close range before Napoli lost Badiashile to injury in the 51st minute, with Sam Beukema introduced.
Roma made a triple substitution on 58 minutes, bringing on Santiago Castro, Balerdi and Nahuel Molina for Niccolò Pisilli, Hermoso and Devyne Rensch. The changes gave their attacking pressure a different edge, with Soulé increasingly involved from outside the area.
Soulé cut Napoli’s advantage in the 69th minute. Malen supplied the pass and the Argentine struck a low left-footed finish from outside the box, finding the left corner.
Roma’s set-piece pressure then paid off. After a sequence of corners, Balerdi converted from close range in the 74th minute following Castro’s contribution, bringing the visitors level at 2-2.
Napoli responded with changes of their own. Giovane replaced the injured Politano on 66 minutes, while Leonardo Spinazzola, Antonio Vergara and Stanislav Lobotka entered later for Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Noa Lang and De Bruyne.
A final twist for each side
McTominay seemed to have delivered the decisive moment in the 83rd minute. Mathías Olivera set him up outside the box and the midfielder drove a low right-footed shot into the left corner for his second goal of the evening.
Roma refused to let the match close. Daniele Ghilardi and Rodrigo Mora replaced Gianluca Mancini and Malen in the 84th minute, and the visitors kept forcing the ball into Napoli territory.
In the 89th minute, Wesley crossed and Balerdi rose in the centre of the area to head home. The goal was checked by VAR and allowed to stand, restoring parity at 3-3.
There was still time for Napoli to attack. Beukema had a shot blocked in added time, then Olivera dragged an effort wide after Giovane’s corner delivery. Roma also saw a late forward pass from Marten de Roon catch Rodrigo Mora offside.
The discipline count reflected the edge of the occasion. Rafa Marín, Cristante, Rensch, Balerdi and De Roon were booked, with Balerdi cautioned before becoming Roma’s two-goal figure in the comeback.
Napoli had led 1-0, then 2-0 and 3-2; Roma found an answer on every occasion. For both clubs, this was not a routine point but a reminder of how quickly a Serie A afternoon can shift when the penalty area becomes crowded and the closing minutes lose their order.
