David Neres Dethrones AS Roma as “Capolista”

ROME, MONDAY – There is still no winning mentality within the AS Roma squad. "The Wolves" have consistently faced defeat against three main rival teams in the race for the Serie A title for the 2025-2026 season. Conversely, Napoli has returned to the top of the standings with a points total equal to that of AC Milan.

The duel for the title of champion, or top spot, in Week 13 took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Monday (December 1, 2025). Roma, the sole champions last week, failed to retain their throne.

The composition of the top four teams in Serie A is once again in turmoil. The solitary goal from Napoli's winger, David Neres, in the 36th minute was enough for Napoli to regain the lead in the competition at the top of the Serie A standings.

Napoli has accumulated 28 points from 13 matches. This point total is the same as that of AC Milan. However, Napoli is in second place due to a less favorable head-to-head record against Milan this season.

Conversely, Roma has dropped to fourth place. Although they are only one point behind Milan and Napoli, the situation for Paulo Dybala and his teammates is not favorable for competing with their three rivals at the top.

The reason is that the Wolves have a poor head-to-head record against Milan, Napoli, and Inter. They've suffered defeats in all three matches. Interestingly, Roma has always suffered 1-0 defeats, despite playing more aggressively than all three opponents.

After the goal scored by Neres, Roma failed to provide a positive response. The five substitutions made in the attacking line by Roma's Coach Gian Piero Gasperini in the second half did not yield the desired results.

Tommaso Baldanzi, Neil El Aynaoui, Leon Bailey, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Dybala were brought on after halftime. They failed to break down Napoli's low block defense in the second half.

Roma only created a significant opportunity when the match entered the 90th minute. The one-two pass collaboration between Dybala and Baldanzi in front of the Napoli penalty area resulted in a chance for Baldanzi. Unfortunately, the shot from the 22-year-old forward was saved by Napoli's goalkeeper, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Gasperini mentioned that the three major matches resulting in defeats for his team unfolded differently. Compared to the two matches against the Milan duo, Gasperini considered the duel against Napoli a reasonable loss as his team performed below standard.

"It's frustrating because we didn't show the energy we needed. The game wasn't as entertaining as other matches we've played. We suffered because we failed to play the style we should have in a big game like this," Gasperini said, as quoted by Corriere dello Sport.

In the match against Napoli, Gasperini watched his players from the main stand. He served a one-game suspension from accompanying the team due to receiving a red card during the match against Cremonese last week.

The 67-year-old tactician is not concerned about his team's chances in the competition at the top of the standings. According to Gasperini, the journey of this season is still very long, so anything can happen.

"The competition at the top position is very tight and almost resembles an elimination contest. Not only four teams, many teams still have the opportunity to compete," said Gasperini.

He added, "We have a week of rest and preparation before we will play matches every three weeks (in December). We must learn from the big matches to help us improve."

Napoli celebrated their victory with joy upon hearing referee Davide Massa blow the final whistle. Napoli's coach Antonio Conte approached each of his players to offer celebratory hugs.

The victory over Roma further solidifies Napoli's new standard tactics, particularly regarding the front line arrangement. Rasmus Hojlund is once again accompanied by Neres and Noa Lang. The speed of Neres and Lang is key to Napoli's counterattacks.

As a result, Neres' goal was created through an effective positive transition from "The Little Donkey." The process of the goal began with a ball recovery made by defender Amir Rrahmani from the possession of Roma midfielder Manu Kone.

Rrahmani passed the ball to Neres, who made a quick dribble towards Roma's defensive zone. After collaborating on a pass with Hojlund, Neres, unmarked, managed to overcome Roma's goalkeeper, Mile Svilar, who had come out of his goal to intercept Neres's movement.

That was Neres' third goal in the last two matches in the Italian League. The Brazilian player is only one goal behind two midfielders, Frank Anguissa and Kevin De Bruyne, who are recorded as Napoli's top scorers in domestic competitions.

Conte is pleased with the extraordinary response from his players amidst the ongoing injury crisis. According to Conte, the decision to revert to the 3-4-2-1 formation—similar to the majority of games last season—was made to anticipate the limited availability of midfielders. This season, Conte prefers to employ the 4-1-4-1 tactic.

"The boys demonstrate their enthusiasm, hunger, and determination every day. This is what helped us win the Scudetto last season. We will strive to maintain our current form, and hopefully, there will be no more long-term injuries," Conte said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Three victories in one week against Atalanta, Qarabag, and Roma are an important message for the Napoli squad. "This series of positive results is a message to ourselves. It reminds us that we can achieve something if we work hard," said Conte.

Conte's efforts to keep Napoli at the top of the standings will face another significant challenge next week. Napoli will host Juventus at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Monday (8/12/2025) WIB.