For the first time, Italian clubs suffered defeats in the exact same matchday of the Champions League, conceding a combined 14 goals while blowing three separate leads.
Four Italian clubs defeated in a historic Champions League collapse
Napoli, Inter, Como, and Roma all lost their respective European fixtures. Italian teams managed to score nine goals across the four matches, but defensive frailties and late-game collapses rendered those efforts useless.
Late leads slip away as defensive errors mount across Europe
Three of the four sides held advantages during their matches before completely unraveling in the closing minutes. Napoli, Como, and Roma all went ahead on the scoreboard only to drop points, while Inter trailed throughout their contest.
Following a 3-1 defeat to Villarreal, Massimiliano Allegri pointed to the steep jump in competition. “The level of the Champions League is higher. When you play with medium-small teams you don’t notice it, but when you play in the Champions League you notice it,” Allegri said in his post-match press conference. The Spanish side capitalized on a defensive miscue by Napoli to overturn a deficit and secure the win.
Inter dropped their second match of the Champions League in a high-scoring 4-3 loss against Club Brugge. Meanwhile, Como traveled to Rotterdam and fell 3-2 to Feyenoord after conceding a late winner.
Roma endured the most dramatic collapse of the round. The Italian side held a lead against former manager José Mourinho’s side before Real Madrid leveled the score at 3-3 in the 85th minute. Real Madrid then struck again in the 90th minute, condemning Roma to a 4-3 defeat after conceding three goals in a span of eight minutes.
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