Southern champions rule the capital: Napoli inflict Roma's first defeat and deny them top spot

An exciting match in Serie A

Napoli tightened their grip on the Italian capital, inflicting Roma's first defeat of the Serie A season and denying them the chance to leap to the top of the table.

The two sides met today, Saturday, at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the eighth round of the Italian league, and Napoli came out on top 3-2.

Cameroon's André Anguissa opened the scoring in the 28th minute, a double overhead kick that beat the Roma goalkeeper.

Scott McTominay doubled the southern side's lead in the 48th minute, heading a cross into the back of the net.

Roma hit back through Argentina's Matías Soulé, who pulled one back in the 69th minute with a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box.

Five minutes later, Leonardo Balerdi levelled it. He pounced on a dropping ball inside the penalty area and crashed it home.

But McTominay had the final word. His second of the night and Napoli's third arrived in the 83rd minute, a powerful low strike from outside the box that saved the Partenopei from Roma's comeback.

The win restored Napoli's rhythm in the Italian league, lifting them to 13 points and sixth in the table.

Roma, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the current Serie A season. They stay on 17 points, third in the table.

Victory would have taken them top, if only temporarily, moving them to 20 points and a point clear of Inter Milan and Lazio before those sides face Fiorentina and Parma respectively.