Napoli held 0‑0 at Como as Inter move closer to Serie A title
Napoli’s slim hopes of mounting a late‑season challenge for the Serie A title look increasingly slim after a frustrating 0‑0 draw at Como on Saturday. The reigning champions walked away from the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia with a single point that hands Inter Milan a golden chance to clinch the Scudetto with a draw at home to Parma on Sunday.
Inter sit nine points clear at the top, with Napoli now facing elimination from the race with just three games remaining. The delayed start Napoli’s defence had given Inter earlier in the campaign has crystallized into a comfort‑zone lead, and the Nerazzurri can now gaze at the title without needing a full‑blown runaway.
Como on the front foot, Milinković‑Savić to the rescue
The script for this tie‑breaker was written by Como’s attacking intent. The Lariani were the more aggressive of the two teams, pressing Napoli high and creating a series of clear chances in both halves. The visitors’ only saving grace in the first 45 minutes was goalkeeper Vanja Milinković‑Savić, whose reaction speed and positioning kept his side in the game.
In the 8th minute, Nico Paz spun Napoli’s offside trap and split the centre‑back pairing with a gorgeous through‑ball. Tasos Douvikas rounded Milinković‑Savić but then delayed his shot, allowing Amir Rrahmani to sprint back and block what could have been a 1‑0 goal. The keeper surged out to stop Assane Diao’s one‑on‑one moments later, then tipped wide a deflected attempt from Martin Baturina after the break.
Were it not for Milinković‑Savić’s intervention, Como’s 1.29 xG rating would likely have translated into goals, and the home side might have walked away with all three points. Instead, the Slovenian net‑minder kept the scoreline level and the title‑race implications in Inter’s favour.
Napoli’s late‑game flickers
After a largely anaemic first half, Napoli stirred toward the end, but even their most dangerous moments fell short of connecting cleanly. Scott McTominay dragged a close‑range chance wide in the 80th minute, and Matteo Politano then sent a beautiful curling shot from the edge of the box off the post. The ball bounced off the frame of the goal rather than crossing the line, underscoring how thin the margins were.
Despite those spasms of life, the Partenopei offered little of the attacking cohesion or width that had powered their title‑winning campaign last season. Their 0.62 xG tally and lack of clear‑cut opportunities against a motivated Como back‑line exposed the growing fatigue in their title‑defence campaign.
Title‑race implications for Inter and Napoli
The 0‑0 result leaves Napoli in second place, now nine points behind Inter with only three fixtures to play. A draw for Inter at home to Parma would be enough to mathematically confirm the title, even if Napoli were to win their final three games.
For Napoli, the draw underscores a broader pattern: a season defined by dropped points in key games. The loss of momentum following a draw at Parma earlier in April, and the 1‑1 stalemate at Genoa, had already shrunk their title‑margin to a single‑digit gap. The Como draw now confirms what many had suspected: Napoli’s reign at the top is effectively over, and the race is now a coronation‑race rather than a two‑hander.
Inter’s 12‑point cushion at one stage this season has narrowed slightly, but not enough to reignite hope for their rivals. The Nerazzurri are now 12 points clear of third‑placed AC Milan, who can still draw level with Napoli on points this weekend if they defeat Sassuolo, while Inter faces mid‑table Parma.
Como’s Champions League and Europa League hopes
While the scoreline disappointed the Neapolitans, it was a mixed result for Cesc Fàbregas’ Como. The hosts remain in fifth place, two points behind Juventus in the final Champions League spot. The Old Lady host already‑relegated Hellas Verona the next day, and a win would extend their advantage in the 4th‑place race.
The silver lining for Como is that the top six teams in Serie A qualify for European competition, so the Lariani sit eight points clear of seventh‑placed Atalanta, giving them a comfortable buffer for Europa League‑contending football. The draw at home to Napoli also keeps them on the right side of the numbers game, even if it came at the cost of a missed home‑win opportunity.
Tactical duel and the Fàbregas–Conte subplot
The match also carried a subtle subplot: the managerial clash between Cesc Fàbregas and Antonio Conte. The two had a familiar relationship from their time at Chelsea, where Conte was the coach and Fàbregas his central playmaker. The 2025–26 season has seen Como rise under the Spaniard’s guidance, while Napoli’s form has faltered under Conte’s more rigid structure.
On Saturday, Fàbregas’ 3‑4‑2‑1 setup pressed Napoli high and exploited the space between the three‑man back‑line and the midfield, while Conte’s side struggled to find width or cut‑through passing lines. The 13 shots apiece in the game painted a picture of a tactically balanced, high‑intensity affair, even if the finishing was lacking.
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