Napoli And Roma Clinch 2-2 Draw As Santos Nets Late Equaliser On Serie A Debut

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Alisson Santos scored on debut to rescue Napoli a 2-2 draw against Roma in Serie A, striking in the 82nd minute at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Donyell Malen had earlier scored twice for Roma, including a late penalty, but Antonio Conte’s team extended a long unbeaten home league run despite trailing twice in this top-four contest.

Roma created the clearer chances overall and finished with an expected goals figure of 1.7 from nine shots, compared with Napoli’s 0.58 from 11 attempts. Yet Napoli maintained momentum at home, stretching a league unbeaten sequence in their stadium to 23 matches, their best run there since a 31-game spell between February 1986 and February 1988 under Ottavio Bianchi.

Malen’s double continued an impressive start at Roma, moving to five goals in five Serie A appearances under Gian Piero Gasperini. The on-loan Aston Villa forward became only the third player to hit at least four goals in the first five league games for Roma in the three-points-for-a-win era, after Gabriel Omar Batistuta and Stephan El Shaarawy.

Batistuta reached six goals in that early spell, while El Shaarawy managed four, placing Malen alongside notable attacking names. Roma still left Naples frustrated, feeling a win had slipped away, given the shot quality advantage and the fact Napoli’s equaliser arrived late despite limited clear openings against Mile Svilar across the match.

Roma started strongly and went ahead in the seventh minute when Gianluca Mancini sent a pass down the flank for Bryan Zaragoza. Zaragoza delivered a low ball across goal, and Malen met it with a powerful finish into the roof of the net, continuing recent form and putting Napoli immediately under pressure in front of the home support.

Napoli responded with a volley from Stanislav Lobotka that forced Svilar into his first save, showing Roma’s goalkeeper was alert. At the opposite end, Malen almost struck again soon after, racing past Amir Rrahmani before dragging a shot wide, as Roma threatened repeatedly on transition whenever Napoli lost the ball in midfield.

Napoli levelled five minutes before half-time through Leonardo Spinazzola against the club where Spinazzola previously played. Spinazzola’s effort took a decisive touch off Niccolo Pisilli and looped awkwardly over Svilar, who could not recover position while stretching. That deflected strike calmed Napoli and lifted the crowd, setting up a more even second half in terms of territory.

Spinazzola nearly turned the game around two minutes into the second half, cutting inside and unleashing a fierce left-footed shot from inside the area, but Svilar reacted sharply to push the ball away. Roma regained control when Wesley drew a foul from Rrahmani in the box, and Malen squeezed the 71st-minute penalty past Vanja Milinkovic-Savic for a 2-1 lead.

The match still had a late swing as Santos combined neatly with compatriot Giovane near the edge of the area. Santos took a touch to set himself, then drilled a low strike into the corner in the 82nd minute, denying Roma victory and giving Napoli an important point in the race for European qualification places this Serie A season.

This draw meant Napoli protected an important home record and avoided defeat against a direct rival, despite Roma’s stronger metrics and Malen’s milestone performance. Roma left with only one point after leading twice, while Napoli gained encouragement from Santos’ debut impact and showed resilience that could prove valuable later in the Serie A campaign.