In a crucial fixture of Serie A's 36th round, Napoli squandered two leads to settle for a disappointing 2-2 draw against Genoa at home, allowing Inter to close the gap to just one point in the league standings.
Antonio Conte's men started strongly and took a deserved lead in the 15th minute through Romelu Lukaku, showcasing their early dominance. However, their advantage was nullified in the 32nd minute when goalkeeper Alex Meret unfortunately turned the ball into his own net, bringing the visitors level against the run of play.
Napoli suffered an early setback when Stanislav Lobotka had to be replaced by Billy Gilmour after just 13 minutes, forcing Conte to adjust his midfield strategy.
The hosts regained control after the break and went ahead again in the 64th minute when Giacomo Raspadori found the net, seemingly putting Napoli on course for three vital points. Raspadori was later substituted in the 80th minute for Philip Billing.
Just as victory appeared secure, Johan Vasquez delivered a crushing blow to Napoli's hopes, equalizing in the 84th minute to secure a point for Genoa. The visitors' resilience was rewarded despite Napoli's controlling display throughout most of the match.
According to Statbet, this draw could prove costly in Napoli's season objectives, as their lead over Inter has now been reduced to the slimmest of margins with just a handful of matches remaining in the campaign.
The match saw disciplinary action with Billing receiving a yellow card for Napoli, while Vasquez and Oliveira went into the referee's book for Genoa. Napoli's late substitution of Politano for David Neres in the 89th minute couldn't change the outcome as Conte's team had to settle for a share of the points.
