A much-needed win has given Napoli brief breathing room, but the club remains in a fragile position as scrutiny over Allegri's tenure refuses to fade. The 4-3 victory over Bodø/Glimt in Champions League on October 20 was the kind of result that can shift a season's mood, with Scott McTominay scoring twice and Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings in a deeper role. It mattered because the alternative, another defeat, would have left the club in serious trouble both in Europe and domestically.

The relief was real but incomplete. Napoli sit tenth in Serie A with just ten points from seven games, and sporting director Giovanni Manna acknowledged before the Bodø/Glimt match that president De Laurentiis had needed reassurance about the direction of the club. Allegri keeps his job for now, but results in the coming weeks will define whether that position holds.

Injuries continue to complicate his options. Alisson Santos has suffered a recurrence of the same problem that sidelined him earlier this season, ruling him out for an extended period. Buongiorno, Favasuli and Neres also remain unavailable. Antonio Vergara, however, is recovering faster than expected and could feature against Roma.

That match arrives today at the Maradona, a direct test against a Roma side unbeaten in Serie A and sitting third with seventeen points. For Napoli, it is an opportunity to close the gap and demonstrate that the Bodø/Glimt win was a turning point rather than a temporary reprieve.