Napoli 3-3 Roma: McTominay and Balerdi Braces Light Up Derby del Sole Thriller

FolioPitch.com – 25 October 2026 | The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona played host to a breathless, chaotic and utterly compelling Derby del Sole on Saturday evening, as the Serie A Napoli 3-3 Roma Epic battle with McTominay and Balerdi braces delivered one of the most dramatic draws of the season. In a match that swung violently one way and then the other, Roma clawed back from 2-0 down to snatch a point, with Scott McTominay and Leonardo Balerdi both scoring twice in a six-goal spectacle that will live long in the memory of both sets of supporters.

Both sides arrived in Naples on the back of midweek Champions League victories, yet their domestic form could hardly have been more contrasting. Napoli, smarting from a chastening 3-1 defeat to Venezia, were desperate to restore order under Massimiliano Allegri, while Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini was forced to reshuffle once more with Lorenzo Pellegrini joining Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone and Mile Svilar on the treatment table after sustaining a serious injury in the 4-0 rout of Slovan Bratislava.

The hosts were without Alisson Santos, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli and Alessandro Buongiorno, while Amir Rrahmani was laid low by flu. Kevin De Bruyne was again deployed in a deeper playmaking role he has publicly admitted he does not relish. Roma, meanwhile, welcomed back Donyell Malen from suspension and handed Bryan Cristante his first start in well over a month.

The tone was set inside the opening exchanges. Marten de Roon produced a crucial toe to deny Rasmus Hojlund a clean shot from inside the box, before Devyne Rensch hurled himself into a desperate clearance to prevent Noa Lang from tapping in Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s low cross. Cristante drilled narrowly wide, and Alex Meret had to stick out a boot to deny Malen after Matias Soule’s clever pass.

But the deadlock was broken in truly spectacular fashion on 28 minutes. Matteo Politano’s free kick was only half-cleared to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who produced a stunning overhead bicycle kick from 14 yards that looped into the far top corner, leaving Pierluigi Gollini rooted to the spot. It was a moment of pure improvisation that lit the fuse on a frantic contest.

Napoli should have doubled their lead seven minutes later when Lang’s inspired pass sent De Bruyne clear, but Gollini raced out of his box and blocked with his arm in front of his body, and the referee deemed his silhouette had not been unlawfully enlarged. At the other end, Mario Hermoso’s deflected effort flew inches wide, while Hojlund nodded a diving header off target from another Politano delivery. The game was wide open: Hojlund surged from midfield to set up Matias Olivera, forcing a point-blank Gollini save, and De Roon hacked the loose ball off the line. Cristante then thumped a glancing header against the base of the post.

Napoli emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart. Politano stood up a cross from the right and McTominay powered a diving header at the back post that Gollini could only claw at in vain. It was the Scotland international’s first Serie A goal of the campaign, following his brace against Bodo/Glimt in Europe.

Benoit Badiashile limped off clutching his right thigh, and Rafa Marin made a vital interception to deny Malen. Gollini produced another stunning stop to deny Politano after Wesley’s error, and that save proved pivotal as Roma halved the deficit on 69 minutes. Soule exchanged a slick give-and-go with Malen before bending a left-footed finish into the far bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Suddenly the Giallorossi were pouring forward, and from a succession of corners they levelled on 74 minutes. De Roon’s delivery was knocked down by Santiago Castro and Balerdi lashed it into the roof of the net from close range. The Serie A Napoli 3-3 Roma Epic battle with McTominay and Balerdi braces was now truly alive.

Yet just as Roma threatened to take control, they were caught cold. Gollini parried Leonardo Spinazzola’s solo effort and was still scrambling to regain his footing when McTominay drilled a low effort from distance into the far bottom corner for 3-2. It seemed the decisive blow, but Roma were not finished.

With 89 minutes on the clock, Wesley stood up a cross and Balerdi’s header was clawed onto the upright by Gollini — but only after it had crossed the line. Napoli were incandescent, convinced Sam Beukema had been fouled in the build-up, and Allegri was sent off from the touchline for his furious protests. The goal stood, and the Serie A Napoli 3-3 Roma Epic battle with McTominay and Balerdi braces had its final twist.

The result leaves both sides with plenty to ponder. Napoli’s defensive fragility was exposed once more, while Roma’s resilience was admirable but their injury list continues to grow. For the neutral, it was a magnificent advertisement for Italian football, a game of relentless intensity, spectacular goals and unyielding drama. The Serie A Napoli 3-3 Roma Epic battle with McTominay and Balerdi braces will be remembered as a night when the Derby del Sole burned brightest.