Jose Mourinho claimed Roma suffered an "unfair" defeat to runaway Serie A leaders Napoli as he saluted both his team and the rival side he is convinced will win the Scudetto.
Head coach Mourinho could not get the better of opposite number Luciano Spalletti, whose Napoli players sit 13 points clear at the top of the table after 20 games.
Sixth-placed Roma would have moved level on points with Inter, who sit second, had they got the win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Victor Osimhen converted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's cross in stunning style to give Napoli a 17th-minute lead, but Roma levelled up in the 75th minute through Stephan El Shaarawy.
Yet Mourinho's visitors could not hang on for a point, with Giovanni Simeone firing an 86th-minute winner when he took on a short pass from Piotr Zielinski and was allowed to turn inside the penalty area before firing powerfully into the right corner.
Mourinho said: “From the first minute we played well. The team were always in control, we pressed very hard, we defended well.
"Napoli suffered, we are the team that scared them most. The stadium seemed empty, and beyond the negative result I leave here more confident.
"Sometimes football is unfair, the team that deserves more loses. Sometimes we won without deserving it, tonight they [Roma] deserved to win. I told the boys that we must be sad for the defeat, but calmly see you on Wednesday at the Olimpico."
Roma face Cremonese in midweek in a Coppa Italia quarter-final.
"Today we saw that Napoli are very good and have the champion's star," Mourinho told DAZN. "I have won eight championships, I know what it means to have the star that lights up for you. The championship will definitely be theirs."
Mourinho saw plenty to admire about Napoli striker Osimhen, but warned the Nigerian striker would have to change his game if he ever goes to the Premier League.
"Osimhen is very strong, he's difficult to mark, he's a top player, but if he goes to England he has to change because they'll kill him," Mourinho said. "Certain attitudes are accepted in Italy."
Napoli boss Spalletti said determination was key to his team's success.
"They're delicate matches and those who have played have done so with the right attitude," Spalletti said.
His team's lead is the largest by any team at this stage of a Serie A season since 1994-95, when the three points for a win era began.
Osimhen's opener was a special strike, with the striker controlling the ball on his chest, then taking a touch with his knee, before rifling an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner.
"There is technical quality, there is personality," Spalletti told DAZN. "He is a physically strong player and it becomes difficult to get at him."
Zaniolo hits out at Roma for treating him as a 'capital gain'
Nicolo Zaniolo hit out at Roma for "unfulfilled promises" and treating him as a "capital gain" after he joined Galatasaray last month.
Zaniolo left the Eternal City giants to join the Turkish Super Lig leaders for a fee €16.5million early in February.
The Italy midfielder had been expected to move on during the January transfer window, but he turned down a move to Premier League strugglers Bournemouth.
Zaniolo signed a four-year deal with Galatasaray after being left out on in the cold at Roma and the 23-year-old has pointed the finger at his former club over the way he was treated.
He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: "I could talk for hours about unfulfilled promises. They [Roma] told me I was a spearhead, instead I've always been considered just a capital gain.
"For two years I was told that the new contract was ready. In January of last year I would have signed for slightly more than what I was earning, because I was fine in Rome and I knew there were problems with Financial Fair Play. After much talk I'm bored. If I have to reflect on my farewell, I think others must do it too."
Zaniolo was hurt by being called a traitor.
He added: "It's something I'm very sorry about. Roma gave me everything, thanks to Roma I won and I made my debut for the national team, my son was born there. Being labelled that way was a big blow."
Zaniolo continued: "The truth will come out. I'm just saying that I've always trained, even if not with the others."
Much was made of a supposed fall-out between Zaniolo and Jose Mourinho, but the playmaker has no problem with the Roma head coach.
"He's a great coach and a great person," Zaniolo said of his old boss. "He made me play almost always. Sure, he's used to managing star players and I wasn't [one]. I would have liked to have him in four or five years, but he gave me so much anyway."
Martinez sends warning to Tuchel over possible Barry appointment
Roberto Martinez has told Thomas Tuchel that Anthony Barry will remain part of Portugal's coaching staff even if he swaps Chelsea for Bayern Munich.
Tuchel revealed at Saturday's unveiling as Bayern's new head coach that he is hoping to add Barry, who he worked with at Chelsea, as one of his assistants.
Highly regarded Barry has also spent the past year working alongside Martinez at international level, first with the Belgium national side and now Portugal.
And regardless of whether the 36-year-old stays at Stamford Bridge or joins Tuchel in Germany, Martinez expects him to remain as part of his own coaching set-up.
"I've been with Anthony for many years. What happens in international football has nothing to do with club football," Martinez said. "If there's a change, it'll be from club to club."
Martinez's tenure as Portugal boss got off to a positive start with a 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in Thursday's opening Euro 2024 qualifying fixture.
Portugal fielded a strong line-up for that game that included Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice on the day he became the most-capped player in men's international football.
Bernardo Silva was also on the scoresheet, but he has warned his team-mates not to take next Group J opponents Luxembourg lightly, even if they are ranked 92nd in the world.
"The truth is we don't know what to expect because teams can change depending on what they see in the games we've been playing and they can adapt to our game," Silva said.
"We expect a difficult game. The last time we came here we went through a lot of difficulties. The team has improved a lot. If I'm not mistaken, they haven't lost in seven games.
"We know that the game can be difficult at times. We have to fight against that, dominate the game and create opportunities to score goals and win."
Martinez is still getting to grips with his squad, having only replaced Fernando Santos two months ago, and he suggested changes will be made against Luxembourg.
"It's very important to have fresh people," he said at his pre-match press conference. "Three days after the game with Liechtenstein, it's important that everyone is physically well.
"We've been together for three days. I've been delighted with the level of unity, ambition and commitment I've seen. The quality of the squad is exceptional.
"We're just at the beginning of the journey; we have to grow together. But it's always easier when you win. Our last win was important from that point of view."
Balogun keeping all options open after starring on loan at Reims
Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is keeping all options open with regards to his future after starring on loan at Reims.
Balogun has scored 18 goals in 29 appearances for the French side, making him the highest-scoring player aged 21 or under across Europe's top five leagues this season.
The Arsenal academy product has made just two Premier League appearances for his parent club, who already have strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah on their books.
He still has two years to run on his contract at Emirates Stadium, but Balogun is unsure where he will be playing his football in the 2023-24 campaign.
"Contractually I have to go back. The loan was for one year so that was always the agreement," he told Ligue 1's website. "I'm not sure what's going to happen in the future.
"A lot could happen in football, a lot could change, and it just depends on the conversations we have between me and the club in the summer, and we'll see what happens."
Balogun has 17 goals in Ligue 1 this season and is the only player to have scored against Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lens, Monaco and Rennes, who make up the top five.
Asked if he would be interested in staying on at Reims for another year, Balogun said: "Yeah. I mean there's no door that's closed.
"Of course I have had a good year here and to a lot of people it makes sense for me to come back here. I don't know what the future will bring.
"But I would definitely advise young players to come out here. It's a really, really tough league, a league that will help you to improve.
"You get to play in crazy atmospheres. If you're ready to take yourself out of your comfort zone, I would advise any young player, I would advise any young player to come here."
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