PARMA, Italy: Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after being held to a goalless draw at Parma while closest rivals Inter Milan drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with Lazio.
Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar.
The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres was fouled, only for the decision to be reversed for a foul committed by Giovanni Simeone earlier in the move.
A feisty match at the Stadio Ennio Tardini ended with Conte and his Parma counterpart Cristian Chivu both being sent off following a blazing row between the two dugouts in the final moments.
However a home win on the final day against Cagliari, who are safe thanks to a 3-0 win over second-from-bottom Venezia, will give Napoli a fourth league crown.
“We’re close but we have more step to take in front of our own fans. We’ve been top for a large part of the season even with a lot of difficulties,” said Conte to DAZN.
“It’s down to these boys who put their heart and soul into it. I really hope we can win this title because it would truly be a great achievement.”
Inter’s final fixture is at Como who are finishing their first Serie A season in over two decades in great form, although Cesc Fabregas’ team’s winning streak ended at six matches with a 1-1 draw at safe Verona.
Napoli were saved from being overtaken by Inter thanks to a Pedro brace for Lazio, including a 90th-minute penalty.
Denzel Dumfries thought he had headed home a potentially key goal with 10 minutes remaining at the San Siro, before a Yann Bisseck handball allowed Champions League chasers Lazio to snatch a point.
Inter once again showed their wasteful side by giving away a lead twice, with Bisseck opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time before Pedro netted in the 73rd minute, while Marko Arnautovic missed a golden chance to move the hosts top in the dying moments.
Coach Simone Inzaghi will also missed the final match of the season after being sent off for his livid reaction at the VAR check which led to Pedro levelling from the penalty spot.
No one from the Inter spoke to media after the match, in apparent protest over the decision to give Lazio their penalty.
Lazio drawing kept the Roman club in the hunt for the final Champions league spot, although Marco Baroni’s team are two points behind four-placed Juve who beat mid-table Udinese 2-0.
Sandwiched between Juve and Lazio are Roma, who beat 10-man AC Milan 3-1 on a night when fans honored Claudio Ranieri in his last home match as coach for his boyhood club.
Milan, who had to play most of the match a man down after Santiago Gimenez was sent off in the 21st minute, sit ninth and will not play European football next season.
Bologna’s bid for Champions League football is over after a 3-2 defeat at Fiorentina which left the Italian Cup winners five points behind Juve.
However Vincenzo Italiano’s team will play in the Europa League next season thanks to their historic cup victory on Wednesday over Milan, their first major trophy since 1974.
A point was not enough to guarantee Parma safety as Chivu’s team are two points above Empoli who are just inside the drop zone after beating relegated Monza 3-1.
Empoli are level on 31 points with Lecce, who moved one place above the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Torino.
Napoli close in on Serie A title despite Parma stalemate
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Napoli close in on Serie A title despite Parma stalemate
Pineau leads by 1 as Vecchi Fossa stars at Hilton Classic in Tangier
- Leaders hit a 2-under-par 70 in what proved arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far
TANGIER: France’s Pierre Pineau holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Hilton Classic at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier after battling to a two-under-par 70 in arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far.
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa produced a stunning six-under 66 to storm into contention despite the torrential afternoon rain.
Pineau, who began the day on three-under par, made four birdies against two bogeys to move to five under overall and head a congested leaderboard.
He navigated the morning conditions well enough, reaching the turn one-under for his round, before digging deep on the back nine as the weather deteriorated sharply.
“On the back nine I just fought as hard as I could,” Pineau said. “The rain was not so much about distance, it was more about the ball sliding on the face on chips and wedges. I have played in tough, changing weather before so I felt comfortable adapting.”
“It would mean a lot to win because I have struggled over the last 12 months, so it would be a big boost of confidence,” he added. “After today my confidence is in a good place.”
Three players share second place on four-under par. England’s Curtis Knipes carded a composed 71, making birdies at the ninth, 13th and 15th to offset bogeys at the first and 17th and maintain his challenge.
Pakistan’s Aadam Syed also signed for a 71, his four birdies countered by three dropped shots in a battling round he described as a constant test of patience.
“It was a real battle out there today,” Syed said. “Yesterday was windy but it eased over the last six holes and you could start firing at flags. Today it was constant all day, so patience was key.”
Syed, who had his father on the bag, is chasing a first title. “To win on the MENA Golf Tour would mean a great deal,” he said. “I have not won as a professional yet, so to tick that off would be huge and would confirm to myself that I am good enough.”
The third member of the second-place trio was the story of the day. Fossa, who started on the first tee, produced a flawless six-under 66, featuring four birdies and an eagle at the 10th, all without a bogey despite the increasingly brutal afternoon conditions.
“Honestly, I don’t really know how I did it,” Vecchi Fossa said. “On the back nine it was rain and wind the whole way and I was hitting hybrid and three wood into par fours straight into the wind. It was crazy out there.
“The hardest part was gripping the club with so much water, but I managed to hit a lot of fairways and the putts went in, which made the difference.”
France’s Andoni Etchenique and overnight leader Aron Zemmer, who slipped back with a two-over 74, share fifth place on three-under par.
Ireland’s Alex Maguire, the round one co-leader, dropped two shots to sit at two under with New Zealand’s Luke Kidd and Ireland’s Paul McBride in a tie for seventh.
Ayoub Lguirati remains the highest-placed Moroccan heading into the final round, the home favorite signing for a 74 to sit on two-over par in a share of 20th place, with compatriots Ayoub Ssouadi and Issam Nakrou also making the cut.
The final round of the Hilton Classic gets underway on Wednesday, with the $100,000 prize fund and Official World Golf Ranking points on the line.
