Serie A Daily Report - 2026-10-24: Roma snatch 3-3 draw after Napoli twice take control

Roma drew 3-3 with Napoli on Saturday, 24 October, after twice recovering from a deficit at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Frank Anguissa’s spectacular overhead kick put Napoli ahead before Scott McTominay doubled the advantage early in the second half. Matias Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi brought Roma level within four minutes, but McTominay restored Napoli’s lead with a long-range strike in the 83rd minute. Balerdi completed his own brace by heading in Wesley’s cross in the 89th minute, preserving Roma’s unbeaten start and denying Napoli a victory in a six-goal contest.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma believed they could still win even after McTominay’s second goal, describing the draw as another positive confidence booster. Roma’s composure after falling behind again was significant, particularly after Napoli had controlled the opening half-hour and appeared set to move towards victory. The result extended Roma’s unbeaten league run to eight matches, according to The Guardian, while CNA reported that the club had preserved a 15-match unbeaten Serie A sequence dating back to April. Napoli were left frustrated, and Massimiliano Allegri was sent off for dissent after the late equaliser.

Lazio beat Parma 2-1 on Saturday, 24 October, to move to the top of Serie A after eight matches. Kenneth Taylor opened the scoring in the 50th minute for his first goal of the season, before Parma defender Diego Carlos put the ball into his own net while attempting to cut out a cross. Simone Lontani scored a late consolation for the visitors, but Lazio held on for a victory that took them to 22 points. The result put them three points clear of champions Inter Milan, who had played one match fewer before hosting Fiorentina on Sunday.

The win gave Lazio an important advantage at the top of an increasingly compressed early-season table. Roma’s draw at Napoli left them third, while Inter retained the opportunity to close the gap with their game in hand. Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso had warned his team not to underestimate Parma, pointing to the chances the visitors had created against Torino even after falling two goals behind. That caution proved relevant as Parma threatened late, but Lazio’s two-goal cushion was enough to secure three points and maintain their strong opening to the campaign.

Como beat Sassuolo 2-0 on Saturday, 24 October, with Anastasios Douvikas scoring twice in the second half at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. The Greek forward broke the deadlock after the interval and added a second 11 minutes later, settling a match that had been goalless at half-time. Como had an early goal from Lucas Da Cunha ruled out for offside and also struck the post through Douvikas, but eventually turned their pressure into a second successive victory following their 4-1 Champions League win over Manchester United.

The result lifted Cesc Fabregas’s side to fourth, two points behind Inter, and showed Como could maintain domestic momentum after a major European night. Fabregas had spoken before the match about changing his approach to deal with Sassuolo midfielder Nemanja Matic, admitting he had underestimated the former Chelsea player’s quality. Three half-time changes helped Como improve their control, and the response was an important sign of maturity for a team balancing Champions League commitments with a demanding Serie A campaign. Sassuolo were unable to convert their promising first-half periods into a result.

Torino beat Monza 3-2 on Friday, 23 October, to claim their third successive Serie A victory. The result gave the club nine points from nine and was described by ABC News as part of a resurgent run in the Italian top flight. Torino’s victory formed part of a wider European football weekend that also included Lazio’s rise to the summit and Roma’s dramatic draw at Napoli. The scoreline confirmed a closely fought contest, with Monza managing to remain within one goal until the final whistle.

The three-match winning sequence represented a significant change in momentum for Torino, who had previously needed results to stabilise their campaign. Their victory also provided the context for Lazio’s pre-match caution over Parma, with Gattuso noting that Parma had continued to create chances against Torino after going two goals down. Torino’s latest success strengthened their position in the developing mid-table battle, while Monza were left without the points despite scoring twice away from home.

Juventus reportedly had 16 players affected by injuries during the opening eight weeks of the Serie A season, with nine unavailable for Sunday’s away match against Lecce. According to Haberler.com, Zeki Çelik and Nico González were the latest players added to the club’s list after suffering injuries. The report said Juventus had announced that both would be absent, increasing the immediate selection problem before a fixture the team needed to navigate with a heavily depleted squad. The scale of the list has also prompted criticism from supporters over recruitment and Luciano Spalletti’s training methods.

The injury situation added pressure around a Juventus side already struggling for consistency. The club had taken one win from its previous three matches, alongside a draw against Cagliari and a 3-0 defeat by Lazio, according to the same report’s match context. Separately, Yahoo Sports reported that Spalletti’s position could come under serious review if results did not improve, with Juventus prioritising Champions League qualification and reportedly considering Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi as possible alternatives. The Lecce fixture therefore carried significance well beyond one league result.