A dramatic 4-3 Champions League victory over Bodø/Glimt on October 20 gave Napoli the boost they badly needed after a turbulent start to the season. Scott McTominay scored twice on his return to form, and Kevin De Bruyne pulled strings from a deeper midfield role, confirming that when those two are fit and functioning together, this Napoli side looks a different proposition. The win mattered beyond the three points. It arrived at a moment when pressure on manager Massimiliano Allegri was building fast after a 1-0 Serie A defeat at Venezia left the club tenth in the table with just ten points from seven games. Sporting director Giovanni Manna had moved to publicly back Allegri before the Bodø/Glimt game, but the result did more to steady the ship than any statement could.

The squad picture remains complicated. Alisson Santos suffered a setback in the defeat at Venezia, aggravating the same injury that had already kept him out, and faces another extended spell on the sidelines. On a more positive note, Antonio Vergara has recovered faster than expected from the injury he sustained on international duty and could be available for Saturday's home match against Roma.

That fixture now carries real weight. Roma arrive unbeaten in Serie A and sitting third, and Napoli need a result to signal that the Bodø/Glimt performance was a turning point rather than a one-off.