Napoli’s pursuit of the Serie A title encountered a significant hurdle on Sunday as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Genoa, allowing closest rivals Inter Milan to narrow the gap to a single point with just two rounds of the season remaining.
The result leaves Napoli at the top of the table with 78 points, but their lead has been significantly diminished after Inter Milan secured a 2-0 victory at Torino earlier in the day, moving to 77 points. Napoli’s afternoon was further complicated when midfielder Stanislav Lobotka was forced off with an ankle injury just minutes into the match.
Napoli took the lead in the 15th minute when Scott McTominay provided a precise pass for Romelu Lukaku, who eluded his marker to guide the ball into the bottom corner. Genoa threatened an equaliser around the half-hour mark when Andrea Pinamonti’s header from a free-kick struck the top of the crossbar.
The visitors did find their leveller in the 32nd minute under fortunate circumstances. An initial header from Honest Ahanor hit the woodwork, and Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret’s attempt to parry the ball resulted in it rebounding off his body and into the net for an own goal.
The atmosphere at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium improved in the 64th minute when Giacomo Raspadori restored Napoli’s lead with a powerful strike from close range. However, Genoa silenced the home supporters six minutes from time when Johan Vasquez headed in to secure a draw and blow the title race wide open.
Following the match, Napoli’s Scott McTominay urged for composure. “We have to stay calm, this is not the time to panic,” McTominay told DAZN. “Genoa are a strong team, they scored two good goals and we have to look at what we did wrong there.”
Giacomo Raspadori added, “We’ve got to keep the same attitude we’ve had so far, because this is what got us here, so keep going with the same intensity and hard work that we’ve done every single day.”
Napoli’s remaining fixtures include an away match against Parma followed by a season finale at home to Cagliari. Inter Milan will host Lazio before travelling to Como for their final game. The draw sets up a tense conclusion to the Serie A season.
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