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After securing three consecutive victories, propelling them into the Europa League semi-finals and strengthening their position in Italy's top-five competition, Roma encountered a setback in their recent match. They suffered a 3-1 defeat at home against Bologna, who hold the fourth position and are also contending for a spot in the Champions League.
Despite Serie A securing five berths in the upcoming UEFA Champions League, Roma couldn't afford another misstep, especially with Lazio gaining momentum and Atalanta BC trailing closely, just four points behind.
On Wednesday night, Roma resumed their match against Udinese, which had been suspended for 18 minutes nearly two weeks earlier due to Evan Ndicka's sudden collapse. The game restarted with the score tied at 1-1, and in stoppage time, Bryan Cristante's header secured a win for Roma in Udine. The hosts, now under new management with Fabio Cannavaro, De Rossi's former Italy teammate, made his debut as the Bianconeri boss.
While Roma typically dominate against lower-ranked Serie A teams, they struggle against clubs currently occupying the top eight spots. This persistent weakness has proven challenging for both Paulo Fonseca and Jose Mourinho to address. They have only amassed eight points from nine such encounters this season, the lowest among the top teams. Napoli follows closely with a meager total of 10 points, but this statistic is likely to change as one team will improve it in the upcoming Sunday fixture.
After squandering two points in a 2-2 draw with Frosinone just under a week ago, Napoli fell short against another struggling Serie A side, failing to break through Empoli's defenses at Stadio Carlo Castellani last Saturday.
Following that ineffectual 1-0 loss, which marked a new nadir in their dismal title defense, interim manager Francesco Calzona has only managed to win three out of his first nine league matches. He inherited the helm as Napoli's third coach since Scudetto winner Luciano Spalletti's departure last summer.
Not only have they lost their former attacking flair, but Napoli have also now let in at least one goal in 12 consecutive Serie A matches. Only twice before in the club's history have they endured a longer streak without keeping a clean sheet, most recently in 1998.
With Inter's triumph in Monday's Milan derby, Napoli have surrendered their status as reigning champions. The weight of that title defense may have burdened them, so perhaps they can face the challenging final stretch with more freedom.
Upcoming matches against Bologna and Fiorentina await Napoli before the season's end. They will host Roma, another contender for European spots, having gone undefeated in their last five encounters at the Maradona Stadium.
However, their previous meeting with Roma ended in a 2-0 defeat after Napoli went down to nine men in December. That loss halted a streak of seven consecutive matches without defeat against Roma.
