Napoli miss the chance to close the gap at the top as Parma hold firm in a hard-fought Matchday 32 draw.
Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw by Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, missing a key opportunity to gain ground in the title race. A lightning-fast opener from Gabriel Strefezza stunned the visitors, before Scott McTominay salvaged a point for Antonio Conte’s side in the second half.
The match exploded into life almost immediately. Just 33 seconds after kickoff, Parma capitalized on a defensive error from Napoli. A miscommunication between Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus allowed debutant Elphege to set up Strefezza, who calmly placed his shot into the far corner to give the hosts a dream start.
Napoli attempted to respond but struggled to break down a well-organized Parma defense. Kevin De Bruyne failed to find his rhythm, while the attacking trio lacked the sharpness needed to create clear chances. Despite dominating possession, the visitors produced little end product in the first half.
The pattern continued after the break, with Napoli pushing forward but finding limited space. Their breakthrough finally came in the 60th minute. Rasmus Højlund set up McTominay just inside the box, and the Scottish midfielder fired home with precision to level the score.
Conte made changes in search of a winner, introducing fresh legs in attack, but Parma remained resilient. McTominay had another opportunity with an acrobatic attempt, but it lacked power, while goalkeeper Zion Suzuki denied late efforts to preserve the draw.
Parma, meanwhile, showed discipline and composure, taking another important step toward securing Serie A survival. For Napoli, the dropped points could prove costly in both the title race and the battle to keep Milan within reach.
Match Report
Parma 1-1 Napoli
Scorers: Strefezza 1’, McTominay 60’
Parma (3-5-2): Suzuki; Circati, Troilo, Valenti; Delprato, Bernabé (66’ Ordonez), Keita, Nicolussi Caviglia (66’ Estevez), Valeri; Elphege (59’ Sorensen), Strefezza (72’ Mikolajewski).
Head Coach: Cuesta
Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Juan Jesus (46’ Beukema), Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano (78’ Gutierrez), Anguissa (56’ Alisson Santos), Lobotka, Spinazzola; De Bruyne (78’ Elmas), McTominay; Højlund (66’ Giovane).
Head Coach: Conte
Referee: Di Bello
Yellow Cards: Circati (Parma)
Red Cards: None
