Napoli lose control again in 3-3 draw with Roma despite winning the xG battle

Allegri's side created more than Gasperini's, and the way they build is changing. But seven goals conceded in three games show the defence still switches off when it matters.

by Gennaro SanninoSunday 25 October, 15:22 CET· 9 hours ago

Massimiliano Allegri — Foto: Original: Quirinale / Derivative work: Danyele · Attribution

Napoli have conceded seven goals in their last three matches. That is the number that weighs most, and we will not hide it behind friendlier statistics.

The 3-3 draw with Roma leaves Napoli ninth with 11 points, 11 behind league leaders Lazio. Balerdi's equaliser came in the 89th minute, and for anyone who watched it, the numbers feel like a thin consolation. They are still worth reading, because they describe a different team from the one we feared.

By Sofascore's model, Napoli won the expected-goals contest: 2.44 xG to 1.90. They had four big chances to Roma's two, nine shots on target to four, and won 51% of their duels. The one stat that goes the other way is total shots, 24-15 to Roma. But 13 of those were blocked by Napoli defenders, which suggests the positioning was right for long spells. Gollini made five saves, Meret one. Napoli forced more turnovers (26-21) and made more interceptions (13-9).

A less predictable attack

The change is in how Napoli build. With De Bruyne in the heart of midfield, the distribution of play has flipped: 35% of Napoli's attacks against Roma went through the centre. After the encouraging signs against Bodø/Glimt, it is a second sign that head coach Allegri is reshaping the team in its spacing and principles, not just its personnel.

When he says on television that he wants to play on the front foot, it is not a provocation. The pitch is starting to back him up. After the final whistle he promised a more attacking Napoli.

The collapse after 48 minutes

The problem is another one, and a familiar one. The defensive system holds, tackles and clears, then at some point stops working. Soulé and Balerdi were each left alone in front of Meret with the goal gaping. The criticism is less about the low block than about concentration: the team disconnects from the game just when it needs to hold on.

Allegri himself spoke of fragility in our own half after Bodø/Glimt, and after Roma he admitted that Napoli have let leads slip many times this season. To have said it, and then to see it again on the pitch four days later, is the part we cannot forgive.

A team in 2026 that cannot defend in a low block, and that is pegged back from 2-0 and again from 3-2, cannot rely on attacking quality alone. The uncomfortable question also concerns whoever built the defence. With Badiashile out again and the verdict expected within 48 hours, the back line Allegri fields is still the one of forced changes.

Time is the one thing Napoli lack, and it is not being granted. Monza are next, at the U-Power Stadium on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET). Then come Juventus, Porto in the Champions League and Lazio on 8 November. That is four games before the break to show that the new look brings points, not just xG.