Napoli suffered a significant setback in their bid to defend their Serie A title after being held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Parma side at Stadio Ennio Tardini, leaving them six points behind the league leaders ahead of Inter Milan’s match against Como.

Following their win over AC Milan earlier in the week, Napoli arrived in Parma with the opportunity to pile pressure on Inter at the top of the table.

However, the hosts made an explosive start, taking a surprise lead inside the opening minute. Nesta Elphege rose above two Napoli defenders to head on a long clearance from his goalkeeper, setting up Gabriel Strefezza, who burst into the box and curled a precise finish in off the far post to ignite celebrations among the home crowd.

Strefezza’s first Serie A goal proved to be the standout moment of a first half in which Napoli dominated possession but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities.

With Napoli searching for a breakthrough, Scott McTominay once again delivered, bringing his side level just after the hour mark following a well-worked move.

Stanislav Lobotka fired a crisp pass into Rasmus Hojlund, who cleverly laid it off for McTominay to strike first time into the bottom corner, with a slight deflection helping the ball past the goalkeeper.

The midfielder’s subdued celebration reflected the urgency of the situation, with Napoli knowing that only victory would realistically keep their Scudetto hopes alive.

McTominay later came close again with an ambitious overhead kick that lacked the power to trouble Zion Suzuki, while substitute Alisson Santos saw a curling effort hit the side-netting as Antonio Conte’s side pushed desperately for a winner.

However, Suzuki produced a crucial late save from Alisson in stoppage time to secure a third consecutive draw between the sides, leaving Parma nine points clear of the relegation zone and Napoli left hoping for a favour from Como.