Napoli’s Opportunity to Climb Within a Point of Serie A Lead Slips Away Following Draw with Bologna

Napoli squandered the opportunity to close the gap to just one point behind Serie A leaders, as Frank Anguissa’s first-half strike was matched by an equaliser from Dan Ndoye, resulting in a 1-1 draw against Bologna, who moved ahead of Juventus into the UEFA Champions League (UCL) positions.

The home side aimed for a seventh consecutive victory, a feat last accomplished in 1964. However, they fell behind on 18 minutes when Anguissa seized a long ball near the halfway line, displaying remarkable strength and skill to get past Sam Beukema before coolly rounding Łukasz Skorupski for a stunning individual goal.

This was the first genuine chance of the match, but sadly for Bologna’s goalkeeper, it would also mark his final contribution, as he limped off injured shortly thereafter.

Federico Ravaglia, who replaced the injured Skorupski, quickly made an impact by tipping a shot from Scott McTominay around the post, followed by a crucial save at the feet of Matteo Politano.

Meanwhile, Vincenzo Italiano’s squad struggled to replicate the attacking flair that had secured a 5-0 rout against Lazio in their last home fixture.

The only notable chance for Bologna in the first half was a weak header from Jens Odgaard, which was easily dealt with by Simone Scuffet, while Michel Aebischer’s effort just missed the target in injury time.

However, they displayed more enthusiasm in the second half, with Thijs Dallinga forcing the goalkeeper into action once more, and Riccardo Orsolini firing a powerful angled shot over the goal.

Bologna finally earned a well-deserved equaliser in magnificent style, as Jens Odgaard delivered a cutback to the alert Ndoye at the near post. In a remarkable feat, Ndoye, with his back to goal, managed to flick the ball home, hitting the underside of the crossbar on its way in.

Notably, Bologna has been the most prolific team in Serie A this season when it comes to salvaging points from losing positions. Their comeback was expected, while Napoli’s inability to assert themselves was surprising, often finding themselves trapped in their own half.

They barely held on as Scuffet tipped Juan Miranda’s curling free-kick over the bar, and substitute Santiago Castro squandered a golden opportunity in the 90th minute, inexplicably sending a rebound wide from just inches out after a spectacular save from Emil Holm’s initial header.

This outcome allows Bologna, who have only triumphed in three of their last 19 encounters against Napoli, to aim for back-to-back UCL qualifications for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, Napoli, whose last-gasp effort by Giacomo Raspadori was magnificently parried after deflecting off Mathías Olivera, remains without a win in five consecutive away matches.

For a detailed match summary, click here