Napoli give Serie A leaders Inter reprieve with Bologna draw

Bologna, Italy: Napoli let Serie A leaders Inter Milan off the hook on Monday after being held to a 1-1 draw at Champion League chasers Bologna, who missed the chance to move into third place.

Antonio Conte´s team looked to be moving one point behind champions Inter when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa opened the scoring in the 18th minute at the Stadio Renato Dall´Ara.

Anguissa´s goal came in a fine first half from Napoli but Bologna finished stronger and Dan Ndoye gave the hosts a deserved point when he backheeled Jens Odgaard´s low cross in off the crossbar in the 64th minute.

And Napoli had Simone Scuffet, in for ill first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret, to thank when he brilliantly palmed away Emil Holm´s powerful header in the final minute before Santiago Castro failed to react on the rebound.

“That was a chance to get all thee points, it would have given us the reward for our fabulous second half,” said Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano. “We kept them in their own half, created plenty of promising situations. We´ll take the point but I´m very happy with the second half which was brilliant from my players.”

Second-placed Napoli stay three points behind Inter who had given their rivals an opening by throwing away a two-goal half-time lead in their 2-2 draw at Parma on Saturday.

That gap will boost Inter before they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, as Simone Inzaghi´s team have a far tougher run-in even without their European commitments and Italian Cup semi-final with AC Milan.

Napoli´s final seven league fixtures are all against teams in the bottom half of the table while Inter have to play Bologna, Roma and Lazio who are all trying to qualify for the Champions League.

“Let´s start with the fact we played really well in the first half,” said Napoli´s assistant coach Cristian Stellini, in place of the suspended Conte. “After the break we were missing something, we looked to defend rather than attack, and when you lose your rhythm at a ground like this against a good team in great form it´s had to get it back.”

Bologna would have moved above Atalanta -- beaten by Lazio on Sunday -- into third with a seventh straight win but they stay fourth and look a good bet for a spot in Europe´s elite club competition.

Under Italiano, Bologna are not just fighting for Champions League football but also have one foot in the Italian Cup final as they hold a 3-0 lead from the first leg of their last four tie with Empoli.

Bologna have lost just once since the turn of the year and only resolute defending from Napoli and great hands from Scuffet stopped them from taking all three points ahead of next weekend´s huge clash at Atalanta.