In years past, bottling a two-goal lead against Real Madrid in the Champions League would send Roma spiraling into a morass of self-loathing and incrimination while fans burned effigies outside of Trigoria. However, after tossing away three valuable CL points, Roma has responded with aplomb, dispatching Genoa and Slovan Bratislava in short order, restoring their confidence and upward trajectory in one fell swoop.
Roma can take their post-Madrid recovery another step further today with a win over their historical
southern nemesis, the Partenopei of Napoli. Despite repeatedly failing at the Stadio Maradona over the past several seasons (if not more), Gian Piero Gasperini’s group are catching Napoli at an inopportune time. With only 10 points from their first seven matches, Max Allegri’s side has stumbled out of the gates, looking like a shell of the club that took home two of the past four Scudetti.
None of this suggests that this match will be a walkover, but if Roma ever stood a chance of breaking their hex at the Maradona, today’s the day!
