A dramatic 4-3 Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt at the Maradona has given Napoli a much-needed lift after a turbulent start to the season. Scott McTominay scored twice, ending a run without a direct goal contribution that had become a talking point, while Kevin De Bruyne pulled the strings from a deeper role and showed the creative quality that had been missing. The victory arrived at a critical moment: Napoli had lost five of their previous nine games across all competitions, including a damaging 1-0 defeat at Venezia in Serie A that left them ninth in the table with 10 points from seven games.

The pressure on Massimiliano Allegri has been real. Sporting director Giovanni Manna moved to publicly back the manager before the Bodø/Glimt game, insisting Allegri was not under threat despite president De Laurentiis seeking reassurances. Allegri himself defended his squad publicly, but the results had made his position uncomfortable.

Offering less encouragement is the injury situation. Alisson Santos suffered a recurrence of the same problem that had sidelined him previously, and faces a lengthy spell out. Several other players remain unavailable. On a more positive note, Allegri indicated after the Bodø/Glimt win that Antonio Vergara could return sooner than expected, with Napoli-Roma on Saturday a potential target for the midfielder's comeback. That match at the Maradona, kicking off at 18:00, now looks like a pivotal test of whether the midweek result signals a genuine turning point.