Napoli led Roma 2-0 and then 3-2, and Allegri was sent off after Balerdi’s second goal made it 3-3
Leonardo Balerdi scored twice off the bench as unbeaten Roma came from behind twice at the Maradona, and Massimiliano Allegri saw red after the 89th-minute equaliser.
Oct 25, 2026
Napoli were 2-0 up on Roma at the Maradona, and still ahead with a minute of normal time left. They finished with a 3-3 draw and without their coach. Leonardo Balerdi came off the bench to score twice for Roma, and once his 89th-minute header had survived a VAR check, Massimiliano Allegri was shown a red card for dissent.
The point keeps Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma unbeaten after eight Serie A games, with five wins and three draws, and third on 18 points. Napoli are ninth with 11, already 11 behind the leaders, Lazio.
Anguissa’s overhead kick, McTominay’s header
Napoli had the better of the first 50 minutes. Frank Anguissa opened the scoring on 28 minutes with an overhead kick. Three minutes into the second half Scott McTominay headed in Matteo Politano’s cross from the right, and Pierluigi Gollini could not keep it out.
It should have been more, and Allegri said as much afterwards: Napoli had the chance to go 3-0 up. Rasmus Højlund had three good openings by Allegri’s count and did not take any of them.
Balerdi off the bench
Gasperini made three changes on 58 minutes, sending on Balerdi, Nahuel Molina and Santiago Castro, and Roma came on strong. Matías Soulé started the comeback, playing a one-two with Donyell Malen on the edge of the box and beating Alex Meret with a left-footed shot. Within five minutes it was 2-2. Castro knocked the ball down in a crowded box and Balerdi hit it in from close range.
McTominay put Napoli back in front on 83 minutes after Gollini had saved from Leonardo Spinazzola. That made it four goals in two games for him this week, after his double against Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Allegri’s red card
Wesley crossed from the right in the 89th minute and Balerdi headed in. Napoli wanted a foul on Sam Beukema in the build-up. The VAR check found nothing, and Allegri was then sent off by referee Andrea Colombo after the fourth official called him over.
Allegri told DAZN he had “said absolutely nothing”. He said he had paid €80,000 in fines last season and that maybe he should not even be on the touchline any more, and admitted he was still angry about how the game ended. Football Italia expects him to miss Wednesday’s trip to Monza.
Napoli have one point from their last two league games, after losing 1-0 at Venezia, who are bottom of the table, on 17 October. Allegri insisted his side had played well against a strong team and would climb the table with this spirit. They will need to, with a trip to Juventus to come on 1 November.