Roma poured more misery on out-of-sorts Serie A champions Napoli, toppling Walter Mazzarri’s side 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico. Saturday’s ill-tempered encounter in the capital brimmed with frustration and recklessness, creating a perfect environment for Jose Mourinho’s bid to end Giallorossi’s seven-game winless run against Partenopei.
In a game of few scoring opportunities, calmer heads came out on top. Matteo Politano’s unsportsmanlike conduct earned him a straight red midway through the second half after a needless off-the-ball tackle on Nicola Zalewski. The Italian’s expulsion marked the beginning of the end for Napoli.
Well-versed in benefitting from these high-octane moments, Mourinho played his best hand, completing a triple-change immediately after Politano’s exit. Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini opened the scoring moments after coming off the bench to put Giallorossi in control of this intense contest.
Victor Osimhen’s mindless challenge soon after Pellegrini’s goal warranted a second yellow card, leaving Napoli two men down heading into stoppages. But Mazzarri refused to give up hopes of snatching a point away. Instead, he ordered his troops to swamp Roma’s penalty area in the dying moments.
His all-out-attack approach backfired as Romelu Lukaku scored with the last kick off the game to seal the deal for Roma. Content with how this showdown panned out, Mourinho delivered his verdict on the latest Derby del Sole.
“Maybe you don’t agree, but my feeling is that right after 5-10 minutes we would have won the game. Roma came in very, very well, we were always in control against a much stronger team from a technical point of view,” he said, as quoted by TMW.
“Then, with ten men, we had an advantage, we took advantage of it well with the changes and our interpretation. I think it’s a well-deserved victory.“
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