March 16, (THEWILL) – Venezia managed to hold title-chasing Napoli to a 0-0 draw at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Sunday, preventing Antonio Conte’s side from moving to the top of Serie A.
The result leaves Napoli vulnerable, with Inter now having the opportunity to extend their lead to three points when they face Atalanta later in the day.
The match began with opportunities for both teams. Napoli forward Giacomo Raspadori struck the woodwork, while Venezia attacker Daniel Fila failed to capitalise on a promising position, shooting directly at goalkeeper Alex Meret.
As the first half progressed, Napoli established dominance with Ionut Radu making important saves from attempts by Raspadori, Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay.
Venezia nearly scored against the flow of play just before half-time when Fila’s low shot was blocked on the goal line by defender Amir Rrahmani.
Following the interval, Napoli increased their offensive efforts with Matteo Politano twice testing Radu, but could not find a breakthrough against the determined home defence.
The struggling hosts almost claimed a surprising victory in stoppage time when Nicolussi Caviglia fired powerfully from outside the penalty area, forcing Meret into action to maintain the deadlock.
Despite their spirited performance, Venezia remain in 19th position on 20 points, five points from safety, continuing their winless league run since their December victory over Cagliari.
The draw represents a missed opportunity for Napoli in the title race, potentially allowing their rivals to gain ground in the championship battle.
Inter could move clear at the summit with a positive result against Atalanta, while a victory for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men would bring them level on points with Napoli in what is developing into an intriguing fight for the Italian championship in 2025.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
