Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri called for defensive improvements ahead of Saturday's Serie A clash against unbeaten Roma at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Allegri urged his players to find tactical balance following a patchy start to their domestic campaign.
Allegri rallies Napoli ahead of high-stakes Derby del Sole
Napoli return to domestic action on Saturday evening to host unbeaten Roma at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Massimiliano Allegri's side enter Matchday 8 sitting on 10 points from seven matches, seeking consistency following a shock defeat to Venezia and a wild 4-3 midweek Champions League victory over Bodo/Glimt.
Having suffered three league defeats already this season, Napoli face pressure to protect an eight-match unbeaten home streak in Serie A against the Giallorossi.
"Tomorrow we’ve got an important match against a team who've been performing well since last season," Allegri told reporters. "It’s a high-stakes encounter, but it’s not going to make or break the campaign."
Manager demands defensive discipline to halt leaky run
Focusing on tactical deficiencies, Allegri highlighted off-the-ball organization as Napoli's primary area for growth. "Where we most need to improve is in our off-the-ball approach to the game," Allegri asserted. "We’ve got to get better in that regard and show that we can be stronger and more resolute."
"As for us, we need to improve, especially at the back. We’re letting in too many goals and we need to tighten things up."
"It would mean a lot if we found some balance, because that could help us go on a good run," the Italian manager added.
Allegri praises Gasperini's high-tempo Roma machine
Allegri acknowledged the challenge posed by Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who have accumulated 17 points without losing a league match this term. "We know how good the opposition are and how much they’ve improved over time," Allegri observed. "Gasperini is doing an excellent job, and the team is full of quality and passion."
"It’s sure to be a very intense match, because Gasperini’s teams play high-tempo football. We’ll need to be ready to deal with a lot of energy."
Allegri also provided squad news regarding key midfielders: "We’re gradually welcoming some key players back into the fold, such as McTominay and Anguissa, but they’re not quite ready for a full 90 minutes yet."
Partenopei aim to kickstart campaign at Maradona
With Roma keeping clean sheets in all three of their away league fixtures so far, Napoli must find clinical efficiency in attack to break down the visitors.
A victory at home would elevate Napoli closer to the European places and ease pressure on Allegri's position.
Napoli host Roma at 18:00 CEST on Saturday evening in Naples.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
