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Gasperini sees chance to exploit Napoli's fragile defence at the Maradona
·22 October 2026·5d ago

Gasperini sees chance to exploit Napoli's fragile defence at the Maradona

Source: Forza Roma

Roma head to the Stadio Maradona on Saturday aiming to return home with three points, with Gian Piero Gasperini looking to exploit a Napoli defence that has struggled for consistency under Massimiliano Allegri. The exchange between the two coaches on Tuesday set the tone, with Gasperini greeting his counterpart with "Arrivo, Max" before the match. Napoli have returned to winning ways, but the three goals they conceded have exposed a backline that gives away too much, even when it is well set up. Napoli drop too deep, allow balls to filter into the box and struggle to read the moves of their opponents.

The pressure on Napoli is mounting. They suffered a defeat at Venezia in Serie A, lost their first two Champions League matches, and Allegri is under pressure himself. Allegri raised the alarm after the 4-3 win over Bodø/Glimt, saying his side is fragile. Roma arrive in Naples with big-club ambitions and a clear plan: attack the spaces before Napoli can regroup. Gasperini's first thought, the article suggests, is to exploit those cracks in order to keep Roma's Serie A title hopes alive.

In Gasperini's plan, Matías Soulé can operate between the lines, Rodrigo Mora can add unpredictability to the build-up, and Donyell Malen can run in behind and turn every through ball into a goal. Malen is looking to score in Serie A for the first time since 14 September. The quality of the individual players could make the difference, but the speed of Roma's combinations will be the real test for Allegri's back line. Against a side that drops deep and struggles to read the game, every vertical pass becomes a threat. Napoli are searching for answers, and Roma can provide them.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

““Arrivo, Max”. Nel siparietto di martedì tra Gasp e Allegri, il tecnico piemontese ha lanciato l’avviso al collega. Il senso, parafrasando, è chiaro: sabato la Roma va al Maradona e vuole tornare a casa con i tre punti. E la situazione in casa Napoli, nonostante la vittoria, non è delle migliori.…”

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

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