Roma Snatch Late Equalizer to Hold Napoli in Stalemate at the Stadio Olimpico

Roma rescued a dramatic point against Napoli with a stoppage-time equalizer from Angeliño, denying the visitors an eighth consecutive Serie A victory. Leonardo Spinazzola had earlier given the reigning champions the lead with a sublime finish against his former club, but Roma’s persistence paid off in the dying moments as they extended their impressive record of late goals in Serie A.

Spinazzola’s Moment of Magic Puts Napoli in Front

Napoli entered the match in strong form, having collected 54 points from 23 league games—only in 2017/18 (60 points) and last season’s title-winning campaign (62 points) had they fared better at this stage in the three-points-per-win era. The visitors looked the more assured side and found the breakthrough in the first half through an unlikely source.

Leonardo Spinazzola, a former Roma player, latched onto a chance and calmly chipped the ball over Mile Svilar to hand Napoli the lead. It was the full-back’s first away goal in Serie A since scoring for Roma against Cremonese nearly a year ago in February 2023.

Roma Struggle to Create, but Strike at the Death

Despite seeing more of the ball and outshooting Napoli 12 to 5, Roma lacked a cutting edge for much of the game. The hosts struggled to break down a well-organized Napoli defense, and their chances remained limited. However, as they have so often in recent years, Roma found a way to score late.

In the 90th minute, Angeliño fired a first-time strike past Alex Meret, sending the Stadio Olimpico into celebration. Roma’s habit of scoring in stoppage time continued—since the start of the 2020/21 Serie A season, no team has netted more goals from the 90th minute onwards than the Giallorossi (28).

Napoli's Winning Run Ends

Although Napoli had looked in control for much of the contest, they were ultimately denied all three points, with Roma’s late show bringing an end to their seven-game winning streak. The final expected goals (xG) tally stood at 0.52 for Roma and just 0.30 for Napoli, highlighting a game of few clear-cut opportunities.

The result keeps Napoli firmly in the top-four race, while Roma will be relieved to have salvaged a point in front of their home crowd. As both sides push for European qualification, this hard-fought draw could prove valuable in the long run.