Napoli and Roma played out a pulsating 2-2 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday in a match that saw both sides fight back from behind in an enthralling Serie A encounter. Donyell Malen delivered a superb individual performance with two goals for Roma, including a penalty, but Napoli struck twice through Leonardo Spinazzola and Alisson Santos to rescue a point and maintain their grip on third place in the table. The result left Napoli 12 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan and effectively out of the Scudetto race, while Roma remained in fifth and missed a chance to draw level on points with their rivals.
Roma drew first blood with a clinical counter-attack in the seventh minute. Bryan Zaragoza released Donyell Malen inside the box with an incisive through ball, and the Dutch forward made no mistake with a composed right-footed finish to put the visitors ahead. Napoli dominated possession throughout the first half, controlling 61 percent of the ball, but struggled to break down Roma's disciplined defensive shape until Spinazzola produced a moment of brilliance in the 40th minute. The former Roma full-back collected the ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a stunning right-footed strike that arrowed into the top corner to level the scores.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Napoli pressing and Roma looking dangerous on the break. The visitors regained the lead in the 71st minute when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after a foul inside the Napoli box. Malen stepped up and drilled his penalty into the top-right corner with unerring precision to complete his brace and restore Roma's advantage. The Giallorossi appeared poised to claim all three points as the clock ticked past the 80th minute.
Napoli refused to accept defeat, however, and found their equaliser through substitute Alisson Santos in the 82nd minute. The Brazilian midfielder received the ball from Giovane on the edge of the area and struck a powerful right-footed shot that flew into the bottom-left corner, giving the Roma goalkeeper no chance. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the home supporters and breathed new life into the contest, though neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes despite both pushing forward.
The draw had significant implications for the Champions League qualification race in Serie A. Napoli stayed third with 46 points but their gap to Inter at the summit grew to 12, making any title challenge virtually impossible at this stage. Roma's point kept them fifth on 41 points, within touching distance of the Champions League places but unable to capitalise on a match where they twice led. For Malen, the brace continued his impressive adaptation to Italian football since joining from Borussia Dortmund, while Spinazzola's stunning equaliser against his former club added an emotional layer to the proceedings. Both managers will feel their sides could have secured all three points, leaving a sense of what might have been for both camps.
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