Scott McTominay rescues Napoli in a 1-1 draw at Parma, but dropped points leave them trailing Inter in the Serie A title race.
Napoli saw their Serie A title push slowed after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Parma. Scott McTominay’s second-half equaliser rescued a point, but it may prove costly in the title race. Antonio Conte’s side now sit six points behind Inter Milan, missing a chance to keep pace at the top.
Napoli fell behind almost immediately after kickoff. Parma struck inside the opening minute through Gabriel Strefezza, who finished calmly after latching onto a flick-on. The goal came after just 33 seconds and stunned the visitors. Napoli’s defence was caught off guard and struggled to recover early on.
Parma continued to threaten with direct play and physical presence. Zion Suzuki’s long distribution caused problems, while Napoli looked unsettled. Despite the early setback, Napoli slowly grew into the game. Kevin De Bruyne and Frank Anguissa began to dictate play in midfield, but clear chances remained limited.
Napoli controlled possession as the half progressed but lacked sharpness in the final third. De Bruyne tested Suzuki from distance, while Anguissa and McTominay saw efforts blocked. Their best chance came late in the first half. Rasmus Højlund met a De Bruyne corner but could not direct his effort on target.
Parma defended well and stayed compact. They looked dangerous on the break but created few clear openings after their early goal. The half ended with Napoli trailing, despite having more of the ball and territory.
The second half saw Napoli increase their tempo and urgency. Matteo Politano fired over, while Alessandro Buongiorno missed from a set-piece. The equaliser finally arrived on the hour mark. Højlund laid the ball into McTominay’s path, and the midfielder fired low into the corner.
It was a composed finish and his 12th league goal of the season. The strike also marked his third consecutive away goal in Serie A.
Napoli pushed for a winner after drawing level. However, Parma remained resilient and continued to threaten sporadically.
Napoli dominated the statistics but lacked a cutting edge. They recorded 1.21 expected goals compared to Parma’s 0.19. The visitors also led in total shots, finishing with 20 attempts to Parma’s three. Shots on target were narrowly in Napoli’s favour.
Possession told a similar story, with Napoli controlling around 74 percent of the ball. Despite that, Parma’s early strike proved decisive in shaping the match. McTominay’s influence stood out, as he reached 50 goal involvements in Europe’s top five leagues (39 goals and 11 assists). He has also scored in three consecutive away league games for the first time.
The early goal defined the match and forced Napoli to chase. Strefezza’s composure gave Parma a perfect start and lifted the home crowd. McTominay was Napoli’s standout player, combining energy with a clinical finish. De Bruyne also played a key role in midfield, linking play effectively.
Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki impressed with several key interventions. At the other end, Vanja Milinković-Savić made an important late save to deny Mandela Keita. Napoli will feel they did enough to win, but lacked the final touch in key moments.
Napoli must respond quickly when they face Lazio next weekend. Their next fixtures will be crucial if they are to close the gap on Inter Milan.
Parma, meanwhile, will take confidence from a disciplined performance. The point strengthens their position away from the relegation zone. For Napoli, dropped points like these could prove decisive in the Scudetto race.
