DAVID NERES COUNTER-ATTACK GOAL HANDS NAPOLI CRUCIAL 1-0 VICTORY AT ROMA
Napoli secured a massive 1-0 away victory against Roma thanks to a brilliant counter-attack goal from David Neres. The win ties them with AC Milan at the top of Serie A.
David Neres scored on a quick break, giving Napoli a huge road win against Roma and putting them in a tie with AC Milan for the league lead.
With only two points separating them, this game was important. Paulo Dybala, who had been out, played in Thursday's Europa League game against Midtjylland. Artem Dovbyk and Angelino are still injured. But Dybala started on the bench this time. Napoli had defeated Qarabag 2-0 in their midweek Champions League match. Even after losing Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour, Kevin De Bruyne, Miguel Gutierrez, Alex Meret, and Romelu Lukaku, they’re settling into their 3-4-3 setup.
Mile Svilar made a brave play, rushing off his line to block Noa Lang's run onto a long ball. He then got back in time to save Rasmus Hojlund's rebound attempt.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo volleyed a cross from David Neres into the side-netting, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was in position to stop a shot from Gianluca Mancini.
Svilar stretched to push away a tricky shot from Lang with one hand after it was deflected by Mancini. Amir Rrahmani barely stopped Evan Ferguson from tapping in a pass from Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Napoli then scored. Rrahmani's sliding tackle on Manu Koné started a fast counterattack. David Neres passed to Hojlund and then chipped the ball over Svilar. Roma argued, but VAR confirmed Rrahmani got the ball first. Neres scored his third goal in two Serie A games.
Tommaso Baldanzi came on for Ferguson after halftime, and Roma switched back to their False 9 formation. However, Dybala wasn't ready to play a full 45 minutes.
Svilar denied Hojlund near the post after a pass from Noa Lang. Roma began to control the ball but struggled to create good scoring chances.
Matteo Politano tested Svilar with a curling shot from distance, and Lorenzo Pellegrini's powerful shot for Roma went just over the bar.
Roma's best chance came in the final minute. Dybala flicked the ball to Baldanzi, whose hard shot was saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
ROMA LOAN CUT SHORT: GASPERINI SAYS EVAN FERGUSON NEEDS TO IMPROVE "TECHNICALLY AND PERSONALLY."
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini clarified he doesn't dislike Evan Ferguson but issued a clear demand: the striker must "up his game, not just technically, but also as a person."
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has told Evan Ferguson he needs to improve.
Gasperini clarified that he doesn't dislike the striker, who is on loan.
There have been reports that Roma might want to end their season-long deal with Albion for the Republic of Ireland international, as he hasn't made a big splash in Italy yet.
Gasperini hasn't said he wants to cut the loan short. Most sources suggest it's possible, but only if Albion agrees.
Gazzetta Dello Sport even ran a headline this week suggesting Roma had already decided.
Many fans and media jumped on this, especially since Albion striker Stefanos Tzimas just suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for months.
Gasperini has supported Ferguson, who has been dealing with his own injury.
However, he seemed to lay down the law before the Europa League game against Celtic.
At a recent press conference, the Roma boss said he had no antipathy toward Ferguson, but he seemed to imply that he wants Ferguson to step up his game.
Gasperini told reporters, “There's no dislike for the players; it's about their performances.
“Ferguson has had many chances. Do we want to be patient with him? Yes, we do.
“He needs to up his game, not just technically, but also as a person.”
While Ferguson hasn't been at his peak, he also hasn't gotten great support when he's been on the field in Serie A or the Europa League.
Gasperini seemed to acknowledge this before the Parkhead game.
He said, “We haven't scored much all year, so it's probably a structural issue for us, even though we've played well at times.
“In these last two games, we haven't been creating as many dangerous chances.
“This isn't about individual players; it's a team problem.
SUPER-SUB CHRISTIAN PULISIC BAGS TWO; MILAN'S 3-2 THRILLER KEEPS TOP SPOT
A 29-meter strike from Rabiot and a Pulisic brace secured a season-defining 3-2 victory for AC Milan, demonstrating determination in the title race.
After recovering from a fever, Christian Pulisic scored twice in AC Milan’s 3-2 victory at Torino. Adrien Rabiot chipped in, describing his own fantastic goal.
The USMNT star wasn’t even supposed to play. He had a high temperature the night before and only joined his teammates a few hours before the game.
Coming off the bench, he scored twice, helping turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win against Torino. Rabiot added a goal from 29 meters out.
I was really sick two days ago, but I felt better today. “I’m just glad I could be here and help the team,” Pulisic told Sky Sport Italia.
I didn’t know if I could play. I felt better this morning. I’m happier about the win than my goals.
Pulisic has played less compared to past seasons because of injuries, but has scored seven goals in nine Serie A games.
It’s been a weird season, and I want to get more playing time. We’ll focus on each game and see where we stand at the end of the season.
Milan's win means they're still at the top of the table with Napoli, one point ahead of Inter, a good response to their Coppa Italia exit to Lazio.
We started badly, but we improved halfway through the first half. We knew we had to play better in the second half and be more determined. We picked up the tempo, and Christian’s substitution helped, Rabiot told Sky Sport Italia.
These are the games that can turn a season around. It shows we’re determined and focused. We need to start stronger because we can’t always expect to come back from 2-0 down.
Rabiot's goal was amazing, maybe the best of his career, and seemed to come out of nowhere.
We needed a spark, and sometimes you have to try something different. We made errors, but the important thing was our attitude and how we turned it around. Everyone who came off the bench played well, said the France international.
We’ll see what happens, but with this attitude, we can go far.
Rafael Leao left the game in the first half with a possible adductor injury in his right leg.