Politano's post denies Napoli at Como, leaving Inter a point from the Scudetto
Napoli walked off the Sinigaglia pitch on Saturday with one point and a stadium-deep sense of what they had let slip. Como 0-0 Napoli was settled by a Matteo Politano shot that came back off the post and a Como rearguard that absorbed everything else, and the result has narrowed Inter Milan's path to a 21st Scudetto down to a single point at the San Siro tonight.
A draw written by the woodwork
Antonio Conte's side were the more aggressive team across ninety minutes, especially after the interval. Scott McTominay had the clearest sight of goal late on, galloping onto a lofted ball into the channel only to steer his finish into the side netting. Five minutes later Matteo Politano produced the moment that should have won it, a curling effort from distance that beat the Como goalkeeper and rapped against the post. Como had threatened first in the other direction, with Anastasios Douvikas denied on the line by Amir Rrahmani in the opening exchanges, and Assane Diao slipping into space on the counter without finding the finish.
Conte called the performance another step forward and pointed to a back four that stretched its lead over fifth place to eight points in the Champions League race. Napoli now sit second on the table, secure in their European place but watching the title window close.
San Siro, Inter, and a 37-year wait
The arithmetic is brutally simple after Saturday. Inter, nine points clear before kick-off, take on Parma at the Meazza on Sunday evening. A win confirms their 21st league title regardless of any other result. A draw does the same job. Cristian Chivu's first season as Inter head coach can therefore end with a Scudetto in front of his own supporters, something the club has not managed at home since 1989. Every title since has been sealed on the road or rubber-stamped from a sofa.
Three rounds will remain after this weekend, but the championship is already in Inter's hands as a matter of formality. OPTA's models give the Nerazzurri a comfortable favourite's tag for the Parma fixture, and Lautaro Martinez has been one of the league's most consistent finishers across a season in which Chivu's side has spent most of the spring at the top.
What is left for Como, Napoli and the rest
For Como, the draw was less satisfying than it sounded. Fabregas's promoted side sit fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Juventus, with a Champions League spot still in play. Hosting Napoli without losing was a result they would have taken at the start of the season, but the Politano post will sting once they study the tape. They visit Hellas Verona next.
For Napoli, attention now shifts to second place and the Champions League seeding. Conte has already conceded that the title is gone and his focus is on locking down a top finish before the season ends. McTominay and Politano were both involved enough in Como to suggest Napoli will not stop creating chances over the run-in. They simply ran into a defence on Saturday that refused to break.
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