ROME: Napoli spurned the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A standings when they were held to a 1-1 draw away to AS Roma on Sunday, with Angelino equalising in added time for the hosts.

The draw moves Napoli on to 54 points, three ahead of Inter who still have a game in hand, while Roma stay ninth with 31 points.

The visitors had been given further motivation by second-placed Inter Milan’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan earlier on Sunday, but Napoli could only take a single point away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Leonardo Spinazzola scored against his former club to give Napoli the lead in the 29th minute, lobbing the ball over the onrushing keeper Mile Svilar after Juan Jesus played a long pass into the area, but with time running out Roma sna­tched the goal to deny the away side what would have been a crucial win as Angelino crashed home Alexis Saele­maekers’ beautifully floated cross.

“There is bitterness for the way we conceded the equaliser, but it’s accepted that you can draw at the Olimpico, reality must not be forgotten,” Napoli boss Antonio Conte told reporters.

“Let’s remember that we came from matches against Atalanta and Juventus, two wins and a draw are an important haul, but this draw at the last minute gives us even more motivation.”

Inter came from a goal down to salvage a point against Milan with Stefan de Vrij snatching an added-time equaliser at the San Siro.

Milan looked set to claim a hat-trick of wins over their rivals this season, with Tijjani Reijnders putting them ahead on the stroke of halftime, netting his 11th goal of the season on the rebound at the end of a lightning counter-attack after Yann Sommer palmed out Rafael Leao’s low cross.

But after hitting the upright three times, Inter found the late goal to snatch a hard-earned point when De Vrij forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knock-down.

“I can only applaud my team for the way they played, unfortunately they weren’t able to get that bit of luck,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi, who believed his team should have had a penalty in the second half for a foul on Marcus Thuram.

“I can understand the referee not seeing it... but those who are sat down [in the VAR booth] can’t not call the referee. It’s the third or fourth time it’s happened and it’s starting to annoy me.”

Inter play their rescheduled fixture with Fiorentina on Thursday, after the original match in December was abandoned in the 17th minute following the collapse of Edoardo Bove, and will have the chance to take top spot on goal difference with a win.

Should two teams finish level on points at the top of the league come the end of the season the Scudetto will be decided by a play-off between those sides.

Milan stay eighth, five points behind Juventus, who beat Empoli 4-1 in the day’s early game thanks to a quick-fire double from new signing Randal Kolo Muani.

Visiting Empoli took a shock lead after four minutes through defender Mattia De Sciglio, who nodded home following a corner, before Kolo Muani equalised from close range.

The France forward put Juventus in front three minutes later before substitutes Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao completed the rout late on.

Juventus, who had won one of their previous eight games across all competitions, provisionally moved up to fourth on 40 points, one above fifth-placed Lazio who have a game in hand.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2025