Napoli and Roma Tie 3-3 with Balerdi’s 89th-Minute Goal
Posted on 10/25/26 at 11:11
Napoli and Roma tied 3-3 on Saturday, October 24, at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, in a Serie A match that started at 12:00 p.m. ET and had a heart-stopping finish. Scott McTominay put Napoli ahead in the 83rd minute, but Leonardo Balerdi equalized in the 89th with a header that was confirmed after a VAR review.
Napoli Strikes First
The first goal came in the 28th minute. Frank Anguissa scored with a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the lower right corner after a set piece, and made it 1-0.
Just as the second half began, in the 48th minute, Napoli extended its lead. Scott McTominay headed in from very close range to the lower left corner after a cross from Matteo Politano. It was 2-0.
Roma's Reaction
Roma took time to respond, but it did so within five minutes. In the 69th, Matías Soulé scored with a left-footed shot from outside the box, to the lower left corner, assisted by Donyell Malen.
In the 74th, the partial tie was achieved. Balerdi scored with his left foot from very close range, to the upper center of the goal, after a pass from Santiago Castro following a corner kick. The score was 2-2.
A Crazy Finish
When the match seemed open to any outcome, McTominay appeared again. In the 83rd minute, he shot with his right foot from outside the box to the lower left corner, after an assist from Mathías Olivera, and put Napoli ahead again, 3-2.
The local joy lasted six minutes. In the 89th, Balerdi headed in from the center of the box to the center of the goal, after a cross from Wesley. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review and sealed the final 3-3 tie.
Figures and Statistics from the Match
- Scott McTominay (Napoli): two goals, one header and one right-footed shot from outside the box.
- Leonardo Balerdi (Roma): two goals, one left-footed and one header, both in the second half.
- Frank Anguissa (Napoli): opened the scoring and had the most accurate passes on his team, with 43.
- Rasmus Højlund (Napoli): led his team with 3 shots.
- Rafa Marín (Napoli): led the defensive interventions with 22.
- Matías Soulé (Roma): was the player with the most shots on his team, with 4, and scored a goal.
- Bryan Cristante (Roma): led Roma with 72 accurate passes.
- Wesley (Roma): assisted on the tying goal and recorded 6 defensive interventions.
In goal, Pierluigi Gollini made 5 saves for Roma, while Alex Meret made one for Napoli.
Napoli led 2-0 at the start of the second half, and Roma tied it with two goals in five minutes. After that, each team had its moment in the final stretch, and the tie was decided with Balerdi's goal in the 89th minute.