Napoli surrendered their position at the top of Serie A on Sunday after suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat at newly promoted Como, allowing Inter Milan to take the lead ahead of next weekend’s title showdown in Naples.
A late winner from Assane Diao in the 77th minute sealed a stunning victory for Cesc Fabregas’ Como, leaving Napoli a point behind reigning champions Inter, who edged past Genoa 1-0 on Saturday.
Napoli now face Inter in what could be a decisive match in the Scudetto race, but head into the fixture in poor form, having failed to win in their last four matches.
Manager Antonio Conte expressed frustration with his team’s performance, particularly their second-half display, which he described as not good enough.
“We left our desire in the dressing room,” Conte told DAZN. “They had more hunger than us, and when that’s the case, there’s not a lot you can do.”
The match at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia started with a bizarre moment when Amir Rrahmani accidentally passed the ball into his net in the seventh minute. Giacomo Raspadori equalised for Napoli 10 minutes later, but Como continued to press and eventually snatched the win through Diao’s third goal in three games.
Since joining from Real Betis in January, the young Spanish forward has scored five goals, helping Como climb to 13th place, now seven points clear of the relegation zone.
“I’m having fun every day with my teammates, and I think you can see that on the pitch,” said Diao.
“I can feel the confidence Fabregas gives me, and that allows me to enjoy my football.”
Inter’s narrow win over Genoa means they now hold the advantage heading into next weekend’s clash with Napoli.
Meanwhile, Atalanta, currently six points behind Napoli, could close the gap further with a win at Empoli later on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Juventus will look to reclaim a Champions League spot when they face Cagliari in Sardinia, as the battle for European places intensifies.
