Roma drew 3-3 away to Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Gian Piero Gasperini calling the result another positive confidence booster for his side.
Roma went 2-0 down before drawing level through Matias Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi. Napoli then went 3-2 up through a Scott McTominay strike from outside the box, but Balerdi equalised for Roma in the 89th minute from a Wesley cross at the back post.
Gasperini on how the match changed
Gasperini told DAZN Italia: "Apart from the first half-hour, where Napoli were superior and we struggled playing out from the back, we already started to do better towards half-time and then in the second half it was wide open with many chances."
Gasperini told DAZN Italia: "We felt that we could win the game, so that third Napoli goal could’ve destroyed us, but instead we got back on track and felt this great conviction we could bring home three points."
Confidence from the result
Gasperini told DAZN Italia: "The lads were not frenetic, they didn’t panic, we maintained our positions and our style of football. The goals came from quality football too, we had fresh energy with Balerdi, Molina and the others who came off the bench."
Gasperini said: "They are all very different matches, but in all three we felt that we were very competitive with the best in the league."
Gasperini said: "Today, considering the quality of Napoli, having come back to get the result was another positive confidence booster for us."
Balerdi's role
Gasperini said Leonardo Balerdi was a very late signing for Roma in the summer.
Gasperini said: "There is no doubt that Balerdi and De Roon were leaders and captains at their clubs, their support has been extraordinary. They settled in very quickly, it was easier with De Roon because I worked with him for so many years, but Balerdi knows football, understood the defensive movements very quickly, he has remarkable energy and today scored two goals. A great reinforcement."
His comment on Allegri
Gasperini said he did not run into Max Allegri after Allegri's red card on the touchline.
Gasperini said: "No. I hope he wasn’t angry with me, I wasn’t the one who sent him off!"