Napoli falter in draw against Como as championship aspirations dim

Starting the match 10 points behind his old club Inter Milan, Antonio Conte shifted his attention to securing second place amid doubts about his long-term plans.

Still, Napoli found themselves under pressure during most of the initial half, while Como created multiple promising opportunities. Nico Paz dominated the midfield and fed the ball to Anastasios Douvikas, who evaded Vanja Milinkovic-Savic yet failed to beat Amir Rrahmani clearing off the line.

Assane Diao followed suit, racing clear courtesy of Paz, but Milinkovic-Savic reacted swiftly to block the effort on target, ensuring the score remained level at halftime.

Just AS Roma with nine shutouts surpass the Lariani's tally of eight, and after the interval, extending that run appeared probable given Napoli's subdued offensive efforts earlier.

The first 15 minutes post-break offered no change in momentum, with Milinkovic-Savic proving vital once more by adapting to deny Martin Baturina's clever rebounding attempt.

Napoli's sole notable opening arrived late on, as Scott McTominay settled the ball neatly while breaking forward, though he missed the near corner with his shot.

This moment appeared to ignite the Partenopei, evident when Matteo Politano struck the upright from a bend five minutes before the end, yet neither team managed a breakthrough in an overall disappointing encounter.

Without a victory over any top-three team this term (D3, L3), Como remain only five points off that elite group, and crucially, two behind Juventus for a Champions League position, despite an additional fixture played.

On the other hand, the Partenopei earned merely 12 points out of 30 possible in their 10 road matches versus teams in the upper 13 (D3, L6), highlighting their struggle to match the pace set by soon-to-be champions Inter.