Napoli Vs AS Roma [3-3] Serie A 2026/2027: How Napoli Threw Away Two Leads Against Gian Piero Gasperini Tactics - Tactical Analysis

Napoli hosted AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Gameweek 8 of Serie A 2026/2027, and the match produced a very entertaining 3-3 draw.

It is, however, a draw that was not that pleasing for Napoli, who might see it as a loss, especially if we consider the timeline of the goals in this match.

Napoli took the lead by two goals but failed to keep their advantage.

Even when they succeeded in scoring their third goal, Roma still succeeded in pulling back level during the final minutes of the match, and that’s what added to the team’s frustration.

Massimiliano Allegri’s team sit in 10th place for now after eight matches, which makes the draw even more painful since it keeps Napoli away from the top spots.

On the other side, Roma can be more satisfied with their performance and result as they succeeded in equalising after having been behind in score, showing excellent team personality and readiness to deal with complicated situations.

However, they also have to address the defensive errors that led to conceding three goals as soon as possible.

As for the impact of the result, it is true that the draw was advantageous for Inter Milan and Lazio; however, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is still very close to these two teams by holding the third spot and being only four points away from the top spot.

In this tactical analysis, we focus on Napoli’s attacking solutions against Roma’s compact defence, as well as both teams’ defensive errors that led to conceding three goals each.

Napoli Vs AS Roma Lineups & Formations

Napoli Lineup Vs AS Roma

Allegri started the match using a 4-3-3 formation with Alex Meret in goal, and a back-four made up of Rafa Marín and Benoît Badiashile as centre-backs, Giovanni Di Lorenzo as a right-back, and Mathías Olivera as a left-back.

In midfield, he used Kevin De Bruyne as a defensive midfielder, in the same way he used to play Luka Modrić at AC Milan, with Frank Anguissa and Scott McTominay as central midfielders, with Matteo Politano and Noa Lang as wingers, with Rasmus Højlund being the main striker.

AS Roma Lineup Vs Napoli

Gasperini started the match in a 3-5-2 formation, with Pierluigi Gollini in goal and a defensive line of three centre-backs: Gianluca Mancini on the right, Evan Ndicka in the centre, and Mario Hermoso on the left.

The midfield line featured Wesley França and Devyne Rensch as left and right wing-backs, with Bryan Cristante as the defensive midfielder, and both Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli as central midfielders.

In attack, Gasperini used both Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen as the attacking duo.

Napoli Right-Wing Threat

The match started with a slow rhythm but with an intense attitude from both sides, as both of them wanted to be the side that dominated while remaining cautious about the other’s plans.

Soon enough, Roma started having more possession as their high-pressing plan was more intense and continuous, forcing Napoli to retreat completely without the ball.

That said, Napoli relied on quick counterattacking to punish Roma’s high defensive block whenever they succeeded in intercepting the ball, as that was Allegri’s plan for resisting and countering Roma’s dangerous playing system.

In fact, Napoli were also capable of threatening Roma from open-play situations mainly thanks to surprising efforts from the right wing.

This type of action was possible thanks to quick switches of play from one side to the other, before exploiting the qualities of Politano in duels and in dribbling.

More importantly, Napoli destabilised Roma’s defensive balance through the underlaps of Di Lorenzo, which were very useful for finding vertical passing options from the wing that put Roma in danger.

In this action, it was De Bruyne who switched play to Politano on the right wing, and as the latter was advancing and trying to avoid Hermoso, Di Lorenzo accelerated at the perfect time to exploit the space left behind Wesley and Hermoso, inviting Politano to provide the vertical through pass to that area.

The action also highlighted the chemistry and understanding between the two (Politano and Di Lorenzo) as both the pass and the movement were well-timed.

Unluckily for Napoli, however, Di Lorenzo’s first-time pass towards the centre of the box did not reach Lang and was a bit far from Højlund.