FULL TIME: Napoli 2

Nothing to do, Napoli fails to win once again. In the big match against Roma everything happens in the second half: Dybala’s advantage from a penalty, Olivera’s equalizer with a deflection, Osimhen’s turnaround again from a penalty and a new equalizer signed by Abraham, who returns to scoring a year later. A chase, more than a game. It ends 2-2: Maradona blows the whistle because Napoli don’t win even when they play as well as today. Roma went away happy: a point earned, based on how the match had gone.

Slow movement
Maradona is silent and the teams almost seem to adapt. Napoli presses high and doesn’t allow Roma to come out from behind, but when they are in possession the ball is too slow to worry the Giallorossi team. The first goal, therefore, arrives on a dead ball, one of Roma’s strong points: Mancini’s tackle, Pellegrini’s header just over the crossbar.

On the other side, Osimhen is almost canceled out by Ndicka, but at the first slip from the latter the Nigerian runs away on the counterattack, kicks from a tight angle but finds the response from Svilar.

Napoli, the head is there
Maradona does not support as a sign of protest for the period, or rather for the entire season, in which Napoli demonstrated that they were not there even with the head. This time, however, the attitude is right and at a distance the Azzurri grow, making themselves preferred to De Rossi’s boys.

Anguissa goes into the open field following a push from Osimhen, but misses in front of Svilar. In the final, Kvaratskhelia offers flashes of class: a right-footed shot from the top of the area that Svilar passes, a tunnel and finish for Politano who gives Napoli another chance, this too not wasted. But Napoli are there and at Sozza’s double whistle the crowd gives an optimistic applause.

Napoli are better, but Roma are ahead.
Even in the second half Napoli were preferred. Disruptive action by Osimhen, Politano misses the target from a good position. Then, however, a naivety from Juan Jesus, who knocks out Azmoun, gives Roma a penalty: Dybala confirms himself infallible from the spot, making twelve out of twelve, putting the ball where Meret cannot reach. It’s 1-0 for Roma. And Maradona returns to challenge the team and the club.

Olivera-Osimhen, Napoli reversal
The ‘OO’ however overturns everything: first Olivera, then Osimhen. The Uruguayan full-back scores the 1-1 with a shot from outside, deflected by Kristensen, who deceives Svilar. Then, in the last tenth of the match, Sanches clips Kvaratskhelia in the area and causes the penalty: Osimhen takes charge and converts it centrally.

Here’s Abraham again, one year later
Emotions over? No! Napoli were caught in the 90th minute following a dead ball. The goal is from Abraham, with a header. The Englishman hadn’t scored for a year, since April 29th, today he comes in and scores. And he scores the 2-2. The result no longer changes, Roma snatches a draw from Naples and can celebrate, given the progress of the match. Napoli has more than a few regrets and perhaps must say goodbye to the Champions League definitively.