Napoli-Roma 3-3. Cagliari. Non molleremo mai.

Roma experienced something of a stumble—though, given how the match unfolded—coming back from 2-0 down and then again from 3-2 down in the 89th minute—one could say it actually turned out alright. This is certainly a team with guts; they never give up. And the Brazilians shouldn’t give up either, even though, in my view, they are now facing another four years of a far-right government—with dire consequences, including for the Amazon, which is a problem for the entire world.

In the match at the Maradona, we faced a formidable Napoli side that seems to have found the right tactical solutions. Roma even had a chance to take the lead through Malen, but overall, Napoli played better; they went into the break 1–0 up and came very close to making it 2–0, only to be denied by an excellent Gollini. Towards the end of the first half, Cristante hit the post with a header from a corner kick. It was a game of fine margins.

When McTominay made it 2-0 early in the second half, many fellow Roma supporters resigned themselves to yet another disappointment. But many others—along with the 11 players on the pitch (wearing an all-black kit today)—felt otherwise. Soulé—who had an excellent match—scored a beautiful goal, set up by an assist from Malen. Then, following a scramble in the box from a corner kick, Balerdi brought it to 2-2. Napoli, pushing for the win, took a 3-2 lead thanks to a low, long-range strike from McTominay. But we refused to give up, and Balerdi found the final 3-3 equalizer.

Lazio and Inter aren’t putting a foot wrong. It is also true, however, that the toughest matches for our rivals in the standings fall within the final 8 rounds of the first half of the season. Before we face Lazio, we have a run of games against Cagliari, Udinese, Sassuolo, Parma, and Monza. We could secure 15 points if we leverage our superior technical quality. We won’t give up. We will never give up. Now, for the first step: a match at the Olimpico against a gritty, tough-minded Cagliari side.

Pisacane’s Cagliari side plays in a 4-3-2-1 (or 4-3-1-2) formation that is difficult to read, as they employ a man-to-man marking system all over the pitch, displaying magnificent defensive solidity. The 4-3-2-1 can also be interpreted as a 4-5-1, given that Daniele Maldini—their most dangerous attacker—often takes up a position far out wide, almost like a left winger.

Here, too, we can clearly see Daniel Maldini playing as a left winger within a 4-4-2 defensive setup at Monza. This is worth noting for two reasons: 1) the Monza side plays in a very similar way to us—using a 3-4-2-1 formation with man-marking all over the pitch; and 2) Pisacane prefers to adapt his strategy based on the opponent rather than sticking to the same formation every time. The only caveat to this prediction is the result of that match in Monza: a 4-0 win for the Lombard side.

Cagliari’s formation can also be interpreted as a 3-4-2-1, with Ze Pedro—who possesses a highly attacking mindset—positioned not as a defender, but as a right-sided midfielder. Massolin, playing as a right-sided attacking midfielder, functions more like a central midfielder than a true right winger. Gagliardini will serve as the primary playmaker, stepping into the role in the absence of the injured Winks.

As I was saying, despite the gaffes made by Flavio Bolsonaro—it’s truly awful to mock Lula for having only nine fingers, considering he lost one in a factory press at the age of 17—I believe he will win, and he will likely attempt to push Brazil’s fragile democracy toward authoritarianism. In the coming years, the Brazilian people must not give up—just as Roma didn’t give up in Naples—and it is crucial that they beat Cagliari, with the support of the fantastic fans at the Stadio Olimpico.

Daje Roma!

Giordano Sepi

8th Serie A	First Half	Second Half	Final Score	Scorers
	1	2	3	28′ Anguissa, 48′, 83′ McTominay
	0	3	3	69′ Soulè, 74′, 89′ Balerdi

Napoli 3-3 Roma. Cagliari. We will never give up.

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