Five things we learned from Roma's inspirational win over Napoli

A first away win despite adversity

Roma recorded their first away win of the Serie A season by emphatically defeating Napoli 3-1. Playing away to Napoli at the intimidating Stadio San Paolo is never easy – especially with no travelling fans allowed - but Roma displayed an immense fighting spirit and collective unity to claim all three points.

Indeed, achieving such a great result against such a formidable opponent in the absence of the likes of Kevin Strootman and Bruno Peres speaks volume for Luciano Spalletti's tactical acuity, the faith he has in his squad and unquestionable powers of motivation.

Dzeko and Salah's immense contribution

Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko continued to show off why their complementary partnership within the Roma attack is such a weapon. The pair yet again demonstrated their tidy understanding of each other's movements and tendencies, which saw them link up crisply and wreak havoc on their opposition throughout.

With Dzeko bagging two goals to bring his season tally to seven and Salah scoring the other, Roma's spearheads deservedly grabbed the headlines for their offensive output. However, their defensive contribution warranted special mention too, with Salah especially impressive here.

The moment that perhaps changed the game involved the pair, as the Egyptian relentlessly pressed and subsequently dispossessed Kalidou Koulibaly prior to him supplying the assist for Dzeko's 40th minute opener.

Salah's three interceptions, three clearances and one tackle aptly underlined the fact his contribution was not restricted to the final third.

Roma set up effectively to pass out from the back

Whenever Roma were passing the ball out from the back, Spalletti's decision to organise his team into what was essentially a 3-2-3-2 served his side well. This ensured the Giallorossi had plenty of options to pass through the home side, with the staggering of their players across the pitch giving them plenty of connectivity when transitioning from defence into attack.

Another key aspect here was the fact Roma's midfielders and defenders showed a great deal of resistance to Napoli's pressing, thus allowing them to progress up the field smoothly on the majority of occasions.

Juan Jesus switches positions to change tactical setup

The positioning of Juan Jesus was particularly interesting for this clash, as while he was named at left-back, his role actually resembled that of a left sided centre-back. This was a very clever deployment indeed by Spalletti, for it gave his side compactness and meant they had three central defenders to deal with the multifaceted threat of the Napoli frontline.

Knowing Jose Callejon, Napoli's right-winger, is so dangerous receiving the ball in the interior corridor, Spalletti's decision to play Jesus in this cautious role successfully limited the effect of the dynamic Spaniard.

Although the 25-year-old's game ended when he came off with an injury after 70 minutes, his fine outing was definitely his best showing in a Roma jersey.

On the right, expansive Florenzi counterbalances Jesus

To counterbalance Jesus' deep positioning, Alessandro Florenzi at right-back was given a licence to charge forward and attack as high up as possible. With Salah moving infield to create space for him and Kostas Manolas shifting across to cover in behind, Florenzi was provided with the perfect platform in which to surge upfield.

And he did just that, as the Italian international was a constant source of menace to the Napoli backline, in a match where he persistently stretched Maurizio Sarri's defence.

Florenzi crucially didn't neglect his defensive responsibilities though, as the supremely fit utility chimed in with a vital six ball recoveries, five clearances, four interceptions and one tackle. A sublimely weighted assist for Dzeko's second served as a tangible reward for all his industry.