Napoli missed the opportunity to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan, settling for a 1-1 draw at Champions League hopefuls Bologna on Monday — a result that also denied the hosts a chance to move into third place.
Antonio Conte’s side looked poised to cut Inter’s lead to a single point when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa fired them ahead in the 18th minute after a dominant first half at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
However, Bologna grew into the game and found their equaliser in the 64th minute through Dan Ndoye, who produced an inventive backheel finish from Jens Odgaard’s low cross, the ball ricocheting off the crossbar and into the net.
Napoli were left hanging on in the closing stages, with stand-in goalkeeper Simone Scuffet — deputising for the ill Alex Meret — making a crucial late save to deny Emil Holm’s powerful header. Santiago Castro failed to convert the rebound, allowing Napoli to escape with a point.
“That was a match where we deserved all three points,” said Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano. “We completely dominated the second half, kept them pinned back, and created several promising chances. I’m pleased with our performance — the players were fantastic after the break.”
The draw leaves second-placed Napoli three points behind Inter, who had slipped up themselves in a 2-2 draw at Parma on Saturday after squandering a two-goal halftime lead.
Despite the draw, Inter remain in control ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday. However, their domestic schedule is more demanding, with upcoming fixtures against fellow European contenders Bologna, Roma, and Lazio. In contrast, Napoli’s final seven league games are all against sides currently in the bottom half of the table.
“We played very well in the first half,” said Napoli assistant Cristian Stellini, who was on the touchline in place of the suspended Conte. “But after the break, we lost some of our attacking intent and allowed them to dictate the game. Once you lose rhythm in a stadium like this against an in-form team, it’s difficult to recover.”
Bologna, who had won their previous six league matches, missed the chance to leapfrog Atalanta — beaten by Lazio on Sunday — and into third place. Nevertheless, they remain fourth and in strong contention for a Champions League spot.
Under Italiano, Bologna are enjoying a stellar campaign. In addition to their top-four push, they hold a commanding 3-0 advantage from the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Empoli.
With only one defeat since the start of the year, Bologna’s upward momentum shows no signs of slowing, and if not for Napoli’s resolute defending and Scuffet’s heroics, they might well have claimed a seventh consecutive win ahead of next weekend’s crucial showdown with Atalanta.