Napoli missed the chance to move six points clear at the Serie A summit after being held to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona by Udinese.  

Antonio Conte's side have now played out back-to-back draws, with second-placed Inter hoping to close the gap to the leaders when they face Fiorentina on Monday. 

In an entertaining opening period, visiting midfielder Florian Thauvin fired the game's first effort on target, cutting inside and forcing Alex Meret to beat the ball to safety.

But Napoli responded almost immediately at the other end, with both Scott McTominay and Matteo Politano going close to scoring the encounter's opening goal. 

The hosts edged in front in the 37th minute when McTominay rose highest to power Politano's corner beyond Razvan Sava with a thumping header inside the box. 

But Napoli’s lead lasted just three minutes, with Pasquale Mazzocchi’s clearance picked up by Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, who rifled the ball into the bottom left corner.

The pulsating fixture quietened down after the interval, with both sides managing to muster just one shot on target through David Neres and Sandi Lovric. 

Napoli now have 55 points from their 24 Serie A matches, only having more in a single top-flight season in three campaigns in the three-point-per-win era (56 in 2015-16, 63 in 2017-18, and 65 in 2022-23). 

Data Debrief: Trouble in paradise?

Napoli's second draw in as many games has seen their Scudetto charge stumble, with this fixture potentially one to look back on as an opportunity missed should they fall short of the title. 

Conte's side dominated the contest throughout, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 1.45 from their 18 shots, though only four of those attempts were on target. 

But a positive from the result was the performance of McTominay, who continues to flourish in Naples following his move from Manchester United. 

He has now been involved in eight league goals this season (six goals and two assists), equalling his best tally in a single campaign (seven with Man United in 2023-24).

Udinese, meanwhile, avoided an away defeat against Napoli in Serie A for the first time since December 2013, breaking a streak of 10 consecutive losses in Naples.