The Romans are ready to end an eight-year wait: Napoli vs Roma prediction
The Serie A eighth-round clash between Napoli and Roma will take place on October 24, 2026, at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The hosts sit only ninth and trail the Romans by seven points, while Roma have collected 17 points and are near the top of the table. Both teams won in the Champions League during the week, but the visitors look more consistent over the course of the league campaign.
Napoli: European victory fails to hide Serie A problems
Massimiliano Allegri’s team endured a difficult spell after defeats to Villarreal and Venezia. The setback against the Serie A’s bottom side was particularly painful: Kevin De Bruyne missed a penalty and Napoli went down 0-1. The Partenopei then managed to recover in the Champions League, beating Bodø/Glimt 4-3, with Scott McTominay scoring twice.
At the same time, the team remains inconsistent in the league and sits only ninth. A positive sign is Napoli’s home defensive record: the last two Serie A matches at home ended without them conceding. In addition, the Partenopei have not lost to Roma at home in eight consecutive matches, their best run in this fixture since the 1980s.
Roma: the league’s best defense and confident form
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have made a very strong start to the season, collecting 17 points from seven rounds — the club’s best tally at this stage since 2014. In the previous round, Roma beat Genoa 2-0 before thrashing Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in the Champions League. Against that backdrop, the 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid no longer looks quite so painful.
The visitors’ main advantage is their reliability without the ball. Roma boast the best defense in Italy and have yet to concede in an away Serie A match. Donyell Malen is also in excellent form, having scored nine goals in nine club appearances. The absences of Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Mile Svilar are significant, but even without them, the team maintains a strong balance.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Napoli have not lost to Roma at home in their last eight Serie A matches.
- Roma have collected 17 points after seven rounds — the club’s best start since 2014.
- Roma have yet to concede a single goal in away matches in the current championship.
Time to end the unwanted run in Naples: Napoli vs Roma prediction
Napoli can cause problems thanks to home advantage and the quality of De Bruyne and McTominay, while the recent European victory should provide an extra confidence boost. However, the team’s overall consistency remains a major concern, especially after the defeat to Venezia and a string of nervy matches.
Roma currently look more cohesive, defend better and control games confidently even without several key players. If the visitors maintain their usual discipline and prevent Napoli from building attacks through the middle, they have every chance of finally ending their long winless run at the Maradona.
