Napoli Rocked by Late Genoa Blow as Inter Close In on Serie A Title
Napoli's grip on the Serie A summit slipped dramatically on Sunday night after a late Johan Vasquez header earned Genoa a 2-2 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, tightening the title race with Inter Milan now just a point behind.
With Inter defeating Torino 2-0 earlier in the day, Napoli entered their home fixture under pressure but looked sharp early on. In the 15th minute, Scott McTominay picked out Romelu Lukaku, who shrugged off his marker and coolly slotted into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
But the visitors responded. Genoa's Andrea Pinamonti struck the crossbar with a header, and soon after, Honest Ahanor's header triggered chaos in the box—Alex Meret's attempt to stop the ball resulted in a cruel own goal after the rebound struck him and went in.
Napoli regained the lead in the 64th minute through Giacomo Raspadori, who rifled in a fierce shot to restore hope. Yet with six minutes remaining, Vasquez rose highest to meet a corner and sent a bullet header into the net, stunning the home fans.
The result leaves Napoli on 78 points with two games remaining, while Inter, now on 77, have a clear chance to pounce.
Calls for Calm
'We have to stay calm—this is not the time to panic,' McTominay said post-match. 'Genoa scored two good goals, and we need to learn from this.'
Raspadori echoed the sentiment, urging unity and focus: 'We've got to keep the same attitude. It's what got us here.'
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