Roma face Napoli in Seria title test

ROMA are surprise leaders of the Italian Serie A football heading into tomorrow’s clash with Napoli, a fixture which will go some way to showing whether Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are the real deal.

Last crowned kings of Italy back in 2001, Roma are two points ahead of the current champions and AC Milan in a crowded early Scudetto tussle.

Roma seem like unlikely title challengers. They haven’t even qualified for the Champions League since 2018 while success-starved fans have seen their team win one trophy in the last 17 seasons.

But Roma have been Serie A’s best team over the course of 2025, collecting 76 points from 32 matches — 10 more than Napoli — in which they have conceded just 17 goals, the lowest in the division over that period.

And last weekend’s win at Cremonese suggested that Roma’s problem with scoring goals might be over, with clinical finishing putting the capital club top of the table.

Gasperini will have to watch from the stands after being sent off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini, where he was seen going berserk with joy on his own when Evan Ferguson ended a year-long scoring duck shortly after being dismissed.

But his influence is already being seen on the team and the fans, who have a deserved reputation for being both impatient when things don’t go well and easily carried way when they do.

Supporters produced a work of graffiti in the city depicting Gasperini as a wizard concocting a potion for success based on grit, heart and sweat.

“Those are the things that we need, and we can add a little spice and salt,” joked Gasperini on Sunday.

Roma ended Midtjylland’s perfect start to the Europa League on Thursday, and Gasperini has proved himself versatile, with injuries to attackers Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala not hampering their progress.

Napoli are back on track however, with Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Qarabag putting Antonio Conte’s side in a better position in the Champions League after soundly beating Atalanta last weekend.

Fixtures

Today: Genoa v Verona, Parma v Udinese (4pm), Juventus v Cagliari (7pm), AC Milan v Lazio (9:45pm)

Tomorrow: Lecce v Torino (1:30pm), Pisa v Inter Milan (4pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (7pm), Roma v Napoli (9:45pm)

Monday: Bologna v Cremonese (9:45pm) — AFP Sport.