Roma’s blistering start to the 2026/27 Serie A season met another stern test as the Giallorossi headed to Naples to face Max Allegri’s Napoli on October 24th. Gian Piero Gasperini has Romans dreaming again after an unbeaten start to the campaign, but that record very nearly came to an end at the Maradona. 

Despite dominating for long spells, Roma found themselves 2-0 down inside 48 minutes after goals against the run of play from both André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay. But rather than wilting, the Giallorossi continued to plug away. They repeatedly penned the Partenopei back deep inside their own half, and ultimately, they would be rewarded for their persistence. 

Roma’s Fight Back in Naples 

The impressive Mattias Soule pulled a goal back with a stunning strike in the 69th minute and five minutes later, the visitors were level as substitute Leonardo Balerbi lashed past Napoli ‘keeper Alex Meret. For the ten minutes that followed, only one team looked like winning, and that was Roma. 

However, as he has so often done across the last three seasons, Napoli’s saviour McTominay would come to the rescue. The Scotsman gave the hosts a 3-2 lead, once again against the run of play, with a thumping 30-yard rocket that flew past the brilliant Pierluigi Gollini and into the bottom corner. 

After clawing their way back from 2-0 down only to be behind again to a moment of McTominay magic, Roma could have been forgiven for bowing their heads and accepting defeat. But not this Giallorossi team. Not Gasperini’s Roma. 

Once again, Roma, refusing to be defeated, charged forward, and once again, they were rewarded for their endeavour. In the 89th minute, substitute Balerbi was once again in the right place at the right time. He arrived unmarked into the Roma penalty area to nod past Meret and level things up at 3-3, finally sealing a hard-earned point for the Romans to take with them back to the Eternal City. 

The draw, coupled with wins for rivals Lazio and defending champions Inter, ensures that Roma remain four points adrift of Serie A’s top two, but online betting sites consider them well and truly alive in the race for the Scudetto. The latest odds from top betting outlet 5Gringos list the Giallorossi as an 11/2 second-favourite in the title race, solely behind defending champions Inter, who are the short-priced 1/2 favourite. 

Roma’s Long Wait for a Title Challenge 

It’s been a long time since Roma supporters dared to dream of a title challenge. Indeed, last season’s third-place finish was the club’s highest in eight years, and even then, they were 14 points behind the eventual champions. One has to go back a decade for the last time the capital city side finished as runners-up. That came back in 2016/17 as Luciano Spalletti led the club to the brink of glory. 

Spalletti was up against it from the get-go. He was afforded just over €50m in the summer of 2016 as he was tasked with somehow reeling in the unstoppable Juventus. The Bianconeri meanwhile forked out some €90m on Gonzalo Higuain alone, making him the third most expensive player in history in the process. But one day the following April, it seemed as though the miraculous upset would come.

Roma rallied from 1-0 down to beat Juventus 3-1 with just two games to play that season, keeping them alive in the title race. Sure, the Bianconeri would go on to claim the title with wins against Crotone and Bologna, but the Giallorossi seemed closer than ever to stopping their seemingly never-ending wait for the Scudetto. Little did they know that their best chance wouldn’t come for another decade. 

The Time is Now 

But that chance is now here. Roma fought like champions away at Napoli, and they were rewarded with a point. In fact, it tells you all you need to know about this current team: manager Gasperini said he was disappointed to be leaving the Maradona with just one point instead of all three; such was the level of dominance on the pitch. 

It’s not the first time the Romans have fought like lions this term. Roma trailed Atalanta by one goal heading into the 90th minute on matchday three. Then Mario Hermoso equalized before Soule won it in injury time. The club also found two second-half goals to beat Genoa and arguably outplayed the champions at the Olimpico before being forced to settle for a 2-2 draw. 

Inter meanwhile aren’t the all-conquering juggernaut that Juventus were a decade ago. This term, they have already been beaten by Belgian outfit Club Brugge at the San Siro, proving that they are far from unbeatable. Plus, captain Lautaro Martinez has been struggling with numerous different injury niggles, while manager Christian Chivu has come in for plenty of criticism for his lack of tactical nous. 

Gasperini certainly has that in spades. He proved it in Naples, and over the course of the next seven months, he will aim to prove it some more. If he does that, then a first Scudetto in over a quarter of a century is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.