Napoli Held To Draw By Genoa: Late Equaliser Complicates Scudetto Race

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Napoli's aspirations for the Serie A title faced a hurdle on Sunday when they drew 2-2 with Genoa at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Antonio Conte's squad needed a win after Inter secured victory over Torino earlier, but Napoli couldn't clinch it at home. They are now just one point ahead of Inter, who are in the Champions League final, with two matches left in their seasons.

Napoli began the match with intensity. Matteo Politano's curling shot narrowly missed the far post, and Scott McTominay's ambitious bicycle kick went over the crossbar. The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when Romelu Lukaku latched onto McTominay's pass behind Genoa's defence and scored past Benjamin Siegrist. However, Genoa responded well and almost equalised through Andrea Pinamonti, whose header hit the crossbar.

Genoa's persistence paid off in the 32nd minute. Junior Messias delivered a cross that Honest Ahanor headed onto the post, and Alex Meret inadvertently deflected it into his own net. Despite this setback, Napoli continued to press forward after halftime. Giacomo Raspadori, McTominay, and Frank Anguissa all had attempts saved by Siegrist.

Raspadori eventually restored Napoli's lead in the 62nd minute. He sprinted onto another McTominay pass and fired a shot into the near post netting. Yet, Genoa had one last surprise in store. With six minutes left on the clock, Aaron Martin sent a teasing cross into Napoli’s box, which Johan Vasquez headed past Meret to level the score.

The draw marked a rare occasion for Napoli as they conceded two goals at home for the first time since November when Atalanta defeated them 3-0. This was also their first home draw since consecutive ties against Inter and Udinese between February and March. Despite registering an expected goals (xG) total of 1.75 from 22 shots, Napoli failed to secure victory.

Vasquez’s equaliser was notable as it came during his 100th Serie A appearance for Genoa. This season he has scored three goals in 35 league appearances—matching his tally from his previous three top-flight campaigns combined (three goals in 90 matches). His performance was pivotal in securing a point for Genoa against Napoli.

Napoli remains optimistic about winning the Scudetto despite this setback. According to Opta’s supercomputer simulations, they still have a 71.8% chance of claiming the title. However, failing to capitalise on their opportunities against Genoa will be seen as a missed chance to solidify their position at the top of Serie A standings.

As both teams look ahead to their remaining fixtures, Napoli will aim to regain momentum while Genoa can take pride in their resilience shown during this match-up at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.