The China Mail - Leaders Napoli held late at Lazio as Serie A champions Inter lurk

Senegal attacker Dia rolled home a smart low finish in the 87th minute in Rome to deny Napoli victory and give Inter a chance to move top of the pile with a win at Juventus on Sunday.

Champions Inter are two points behind Napoli, who have drawn three matches in a row and have failed to beat Lazio in three matches this season, ahead of that clash between fierce rivals in Turin.

"Lazio are our bogey team... we should be proud of what we're doing and make sure that we always come off the field with our jerseys soaked in sweat," said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.

Conte had to deal with the absence of three left-sided players with David Neres, Leonardo Spinazzola and Mathias Olivera all injured, and switched Napoli to a three-man defence with Pasquale Mazzocchi coming in as a makeshift wing-back.

And his injury problems got worse when Alessandro Buongiorno, who played for the first time in 2025 after recovering from a back injury, had to be replaced by Matteo Politano near the hour mark and Mazzocchi asked to substituted with five minutes remaining.

"When Mazzocchi asked to be taken off it caused us a big problem because I had to put (central defender) Rafa Marin at full-back," added Conte.

"But I can't ask any more from these boys because what they are doing is extraordinary."

- Lazio battle -

Napoli looked to be collecting a big three points when Adam Marusic scored a bizarre own goal in the 64th minute, the defender sticking out his left foot to block Giacomo Raspadori's deflected drive only to somehow chip it past goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and into his own net.

It was Raspadori who drilled Napoli level in the 13th minute following a neat exchange of passes with Romelu Lukaku, cancelling out Gustav Isaksen's thumping early opener for Lazio.

Hosts Lazio briefly thought they had levelled the scores moments later through a sensational Mattia Zaccani bicycle kick before the Italy international was ruled offside as he flashed in his exceptional finish.

But Dia made sure Lazio got something from a keenly-contested match at the Stadio Olimpico and moved three points ahead of Juve in fourth place.

Marco Baroni's team are on 46 points but will be knocked out of Italy's Champions League positions on goal difference if Juve beat Inter.

"It was a great match and we played really well... Honestly I think we were a bit unlucky and probably should have won today," said Isaksen.

- Atalanta slip -

Atalanta slipped up again in their bid for a first league title with a goalless draw with Cagliari which left the Bergamo outfit five points behind Napoli.

Already hit with injuries including that of key attacker Ademola Lookman, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini dropped first teamers like Marten de Roon, Ederson and Charles De Ketelaere ahead of his team's return leg of a Champions League play-off with Club Brugge.

Atalanta trail that tie 2-1 after a hugely controversial penalty given against them in stoppage of the first leg in Belgium on Wednesday.

"We're up for that match, especially after how the first leg ended... We have to try and do everything to get through," said Gasperini.

Gasperini was forced to bring on De Roon, Ederson and De Ketelaere in the second half as Atalanta struggled to break down resilient Cagliari who are 13th and five points above the relegation zone.

The closest the hosts game to taking the lead was when Marco Brescianini poked home from close range on the hour only for Stefan Posch to be penalised for a foul on Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile.

AC Milan host Verona in the day's late match hoping to bounce back from their Champions League defeat at Feyenoord.

S.Wilson--ThChM