Malen unleashes Roma's comeback after Napoli's early 2-0 lead
In Rome, Donyell Malen delivered the key pass for Matías Soule’s 2‑1 goal, a turn that pulled AS Roma out of a 2‑0 deficit against Napoli in a thrilling Serie A match. The two clubs eventually shared the points, while several Dutch players coloured the pitch with their effort.
Napoli’s early lead and Roma’s first attempts
Napoli immediately took control and turned the opening phase to its advantage, but could not create big chances. After just three minutes, Frank Anguissa scored with a volley and put the home side up 1‑0. Shortly after, Scott McTominay headed the score to 2‑0, giving Napoli an early comfortable lead.
AS Roma responded quickly. Noa Lang tried a shot after more than a quarter of an hour, but missed the target. A few minutes later Bryan Cristante struck, but the ball ended up in the net. In the 24th minute Donyell Malen had an excellent chance, but he shot straight at goalkeeper Alex Meret. A moment later Kevin De Bruyne had a lone chance, which the Roma keeper denied; De Bruyne asked the referee for a card for an alleged handball outside the penalty area, but the official saw no foul.
At halftime the score was 1‑0 in Napoli’s favour. Roma’s starting XI consisted of Marten de Roon, Donyell Malen, Devyne Rensch and Noa Lang, with Sam Beukema starting from the bench. Both teams went into the dressing rooms with a 1‑0 scoreline.
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Roma’s comeback and the eventual draw
After the break Matías Soule restored the tension by making the score 2‑1 via an assist from Malen. Three minutes later a Roma corner came level, but Leonardo Balerdi struck the ball hard against the post. The Dutch touch remained evident, with several Dutch players active in both attacks.
In the 82nd minute Napoli regained the lead when Scott McTominay shot from outside the penalty area and found the net. In the final stages Roma still came close to equalising; Leonardo Balerdi eventually found the finish and brought the final score to 3‑3.
With the point, Napoli and AS Roma shared the three points in Serie A, a result that gave both teams a valuable point. The duel took on a distinctly Dutch character thanks to the efforts of Frank Anguissa, Noa Lang, Donyell Malen, Bryan Cristante and other Dutch players on the field.