Match Result: Roma v Napoli
Roma are marginal favourites to win this Sunday night game. They have racked up twenty-seven points from their first twelve matches. There have been four victories from six matches at the Stadio Olimpico, although there have also been two defeats. On the road, they have actually been more effective with five wins and a loss across six matches.
Gian Piero Gasperini was previously successful with Atalanta and the team are in good form. Going into a Europa League clash against Midtjylland, Roma had won five of their previous six in all competitions. That includes home wins over Parma and Udinese, with the latest effort being a 3-1 victory at Cremonese.
However, there have been several home defeats in all competitions. Torino and Inter have both left the Stadio Olimpico with 1-0 victories and the same applies to Lille in the Europa League. Perhaps Roma are throwing that competition away considering that Viktoria Plzen also claimed a success in the Italian capital.
Napoli can ill-afford to lose this clash and lose ground to a title rival who are already two points ahead. They’ve won three and lost three on the road so far. Conte’s side went into the international break having failed to win three matches but returned to secure a 3-1 success against Atalanta.
On the road, the Italian champions have suffered Serie A defeats against Bologna, Torino and Milan this season. They were also thrashed 6-2 unexpectedly by PSV in the Champions League and Manchester City claimed a 2-0 victory. They are struggling to find the net on the road and have only mustered seven in six away clashes, although they generally run a tight defensive ship.
Goals Under/Over
Under 2.5 Goals is trading as the likely outcome for this Serie A showdown. In four of Napoli’s six away clashes, there have been two goals or less scored. Antonio Conte is primarily known as a defensive manager and will want to be sure that his team aren’t going to lose the game. A draw won’t be a bad outcome at this stage of the campaign and keep the team firmly in the title hunt.
The fact that the Naples side have a relatively easy Champions League assignment at home to Qarabag on the previous Tuesday should help them prepare for this encounter. They were also defensively tight against Atalanta recently and able to race into a three-goal lead before managing the game all the way to the final whistle.
Roma are not heavy scorers either. They’ve registered seven across six home matches and only conceded three. The mantra is to keep things tight defensively and some punters might even opt for Under 1.5 Goals in order to get a bigger price.
BTTS
BTTS No isn’t too bad a shout here. This is a game where the focus of Roma and Napoli might be to avoid defeat rather than proactively set about trying to win the clash. It could lead to defences on top, especially knowing that falling a goal behind can make it difficult to produce a way back into the game.
Last season’s matches were fairly cagey. In November 2024, a Romelu Lukaku goal separated the two sides as Napoli ran out 1-0 winners. It was a game of few chances considering that Conte’s team registered two shots on target and the Wolves only saw one of their efforts heading towards the goal.
Napoli nearly repeated the trick at the Stadio Olimpico. A Leonardo Spinazzola first-half effort helped the champions into a lead before Angelino scored a 90th minute equaliser. Both teams only had two shots on target in that game and it’s hard to see this being anything other than a tight clash.
Let’s consider that a 1-0 win to either team and the goalless draw are all possible outcomes. We’d rather side with this rather than a 1-1 scoreline and the other BTTS Yes possibilities such as 2-1 to either side.
First Goalscorer
Matias Soule was the first name on the scoresheet in that recent 3-1 Roma win over Cremonese. It was the Argentine’s second in three games and fifth for the season. The 22-year-old might hold the key to finding the breakthrough here, with the player having an outside chance of breaking into his country’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Evan Ferguson is another young forward on the books and he scored the first goal of his Serie A career last weekend. The on-loan Brighton forward definitely has ability and will hope to be included in the starting XI. Young Brazilian Wesley can also make an impact in front of goal, with Napoli having several players capable of finding the net.
David Neres has been waiting all season to break his duck for Napoli before bagging a brace against Atalanta last weekend, with the Brazilian pressing for inclusion in this big Serie A clash. Strangely enough, Noa Lang was also off the mark in that game and the Dutchman could continue to keep out more established forwards.
Perhaps a set piece could settle the game and Scott McTominay has often been the scoring hero for the Naples side since his move from Manchester United.