PARMA-NAPOLI 0-0 | EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS | SERIE A 2024/25

If you'd have offered Napoli this scenario at the start of the season, well then they'd have bitten your hand off. The Partenope know that two wins would seal the club's fourth Scudetto, regardless of what Inter do elsewhere. There is even a scenario whereby Napoli could be champions tonight if they were to win at the Tardini and Inter were to lose at home to Lazio. As for Palma, they too are masters of their own destiny thanks to a four-point cushion over the bottom three at the start of play. Nine matches kicking off simultaneously in matchday 37 of Serie A. We're focused on events at the Tardini where it's Palma-Napoli and it's live. Christian Kivu makes three changes to the Palma side that began their loss at Empoli. Balog replaces the suspended Valenti while there's a first appearance for since mid-September. Hernani also comes into the side. Bonnie scored in the reverse fixture. Just the one switch for Conte and Napoli from the 11 that drew against Genoa. Billy Gilmour fills in for the injured Lobotka. McTominay is fit to start after what's been a difficult week for him in terms of an injury concern. Buon Giorno and Juan Jesus meantime have travelled to the Tardini, albeit out of solidarity. They're not available amongst the substitutes. Romelu Lukaku scored early on against Genoa. Prior to that strike he had a dozen goals in a dozen matches for Napoli that had produced 12 wins but for once his goal did not end up proving to be worth three points. Napoli could be champions later on this evening. They could be Scudetto winners come next week but the equation is the same. The first portion of it requires a victory here at the Tardini. We're up and running. Palma looking to cause problems immediately for the Partenope who will be nervous as evidenced there from that slice clearance from Matias Oliveira. Gilmour, Di Lorenzo, Zambonissa dispossessed and here come Palma who are very good in transition. Ernani racing away from Gilmour. Bonnie in the channel. Here he is now the Frenchman, Pellegrino calling for it. Bonnie goes for goal and it's comfortably held by Meret. Bonnie running at Rahmani. Bonnie across. Meret did well to snaffle it because Ernani was closing in. Palma showing that there can be a threat. Spinazzola, Lukaku, Fraspatori. Now it's with Politano. Di Lorenzo on the overlap. Still Politano. Fraspatori now. Spinazzola. Mctominay's cross. Suzuki got there. It was Keita keeping tabs on Lukaku. Mctominay around the corner. Fraspatori on the half turn. Now he seeks out Politano. Lovely ball. Politano coming back inside. Well held by Suzuki. A reminder of what Napoli can offer. Fraspatori with the approach play. The movement of blue shirts in the box allowed Politano to open up the space. Balogh didn't do enough. Suzuki though a fairly easy save. Mctominay down by Lukaku. Zombonghisa. They've dropped off him. Still Zombonghisa. This is Politano. Mctominay and now Fraspatori has been dispossessed. Bonnie this time being held by Rahmani. Lots of physical players on the pitch. This was Politano's ball across. Headed away by Rahmani. Circati for Bonnie. Straight at the goalkeeper. It's not scored in a while. The man they call Angelo in this part of the world. Politano. Good work from Valeri. He's pinched the ball off Politano. He's just caught in two minds. He could have played in Di Lorenzo. Valeri. Some can keep it moving for Hernani. Now Del Prato bombing forward in support. Hernani. Simonson. Lovely first touch and it needed a save from Meret. First big opportunity of the match and it came from the Swiss midfielder Simonson. Oliveira. Now Mctominay trying to make something happen. Mctominay. Zombonghisa. Still there for him. Great trickery and it's off the post. Would have been one of the goals of the season from Zombonghisa. Spinazzola meantime. Back for Rasputori now. Rasputori stands it up. Lukaku is waiting. Spinazzola. Can he deliver? Rasputori crosses. Lukaku's off target but Zombonghisa showing outrageous technique. Chested it down. The sombrero away from Leoni. The volleyed effort that had Suzuki beaten and it's the frame of the goal that denies Napoli. A stunning opener from Andre Franc Zombonghisa in this his most prolific of campaigns. Politano. Lukaku has pinned his man. Valeri came back. Nearly lost it. He has lost it to Lukaku and Mctominay is denied by Suzuki. Referee waited for the conclusion of the chance to blow his whistle. It wouldn't have counted. Foul by Romelu Lukaku but excellent work from Emanuele Valeri. Pellegrino's won it back but that was far too predictable. Gilmore over the top. Now Lukaku gives chase. We saw that in the reverse fixture from Suzuki. This time he got it right. High tariff on that. Coming off your line as a goalkeeper especially out of your penalty area. Spinazzola. Lukaku lays it off. Rasputori. Shot was stifled at source. Valeri with the long throw. Pellegrino won the flick on and that is the end of the first half. Napoli would have loved to have enjoyed a half-time cushion. Instead Andre Franc Zombonghisa only hit the post after a fabulous bit of individual skill. Closest palmer came to a goal was courtesy of Simon Somm. His shot was tipped over. Suzuki is kicked out. Rasputori meantime et al. No favours just yet for Inter from Parma but they have had help elsewhere in their efforts to try and stay in the division at halftime. Scoreline reads Parma nil, Napoli nil. The pressure is on for Antonio Conte. Seven wins in 13 matches against Parma. How he desperately needs to make it. Eight victories in 14 meetings against the Ducali. Zombonghisa struck the post so close to giving Napoli the breakthrough they have learned. Napoli's fate remains in their own hands but they need to score here at the Tardini to move back above Inter. The Nerazzurri one up against Lazio at the break at San Siro. Huge 45 minutes in prospect now for the Partenope. Then again there is scope for Parma to completely ruin Napoli's plans by scoring a goal of their own. Ernani into touch it goes. How many match winners do Napoli have on the bench? That's the big question. David Neres would certainly be one. Played a handful of minutes against Genoa. Very nearly teed up what would have been a winning goal but the Dane headed wide. Neres has that unpredictability that very few players in this Napoli side possess. Here's Simon Somme for Parma. Somme goes for goal pushed away by Meret. That was a much harder save than the one he made in the first half. Again it's Simon Somme testing him. This ball was dipping and swerving. It was awkward for Alex Meret. Might have seen it late as well. It's a much better save than it first appeared from the Napoli number one. This was fizzing towards the top corner. Excellent goalkeeping. Rahmani. Zambonguissa. Kept in play by Politano. Here's Zambonguissa again. Now Lukaku. And here's Rasputori. Still there for Rasputori. The angles against him. Pushed away by Suzuki. Spinazzola couldn't collect. McTominay. Hernani blocked the shot but Rasputori coming to life. Politano away from Valeri. Politano. It's caught the crossbar. He meant it as a cross. He nearly scored Matteo Politano and Napoli have now struck the woodwork at both ends of the ground. Suzuki deceived by the flight. That was definitely a cross and Politano is nearly the best mishit of his career. Gilmour's evening is up. Napoli have to be bold. Rasputori coming off as well. He's not going to be the hero tonight. Ned is joined by Billing. Good work from Spinazzola. It's through towards McTominay. He was caught there by Del Prato. It's a yellow card. McTominay saying it should be a red but there was a covering defender. Billing in discussions with Zambonguissa. McTominay looks a pretty good candidate to strike this. They've got to work the goalkeeper. It's the first task. McTominay hits the free kick. What a save from Suzuki. Scott McTominay almost did it again. It was the goalkeeper's side but it still needed saving from Suzuki and that's fabulous. And again it caught the frame of the goal. Three times now Napoli have struck the woodwork. They're getting much closer though. Lukaku withdrawn and Simeone scored big goals en route to the Scudetto in 2023. Needs to get one here at the Tardini. They can't rely on Latza scoring another equaliser. Still too casual from Napoli. No desperation about their play just yet. David Neres, Mazzocchi. They've gone backwards. Oliveira with the cross. Billing is there but he couldn't stretch enough. Not a bad ball from Oliveira. Just a touch too heavy else Billing would have surely guided it back towards several players in blue. And Hazard here just gone up signifying another goal at the Meazza. I think it might well have done you know. We'll wait for confirmation. Calmer says Conte. Well Napoli aren't even holding up their end of the bargain. This is astonishing if it is now two each at San Siro. Lukaku's relaying the message. Napoli should still try and go and score. It is two each. The Bianco Celesti have once again levelled. Unbelievable via a penalty at Inter. Napoli are back on top again despite having done nothing themselves as an attacking force tonight. Red cards on the way now. But again Napoli are at the mercy of the unknown. What you can't legislate for. What they need to do is try and ride this wave of emotions. Get a victory of their own at the Tardini. How on earth have Inter twice squandered a lead. Red cards being brandished. Conte has said too much. He's going to be suspended for the final home game at the Maratona. But as things stand Inter two, Lazio two, Palma nil, Napoli nil. Napoli astonishingly are still one clear at the Serie A summit. As things stand I hasten to add. Djuric with the flick on. Away by Mazzocchi. Oliveira stretched through it. Now it's Philipp Billing. Simeone making the run. Billing. It's broken for Simeone. Neris is there. Nkonge picks up the baton. Nkonge. David Neris. Was he caught? Penalty to Napoli. David Neris fouled it at a time. And the Brazilian has made the difference. Lovic says no. Palma protest. But Napoli now on the cusp. Palma committed too many bodies forward. Neris dropped the shoulder. Lovic stepped across him. Put his arm across. Didn't play the ball. And Daniele Doveri saw it as a penalty. That is not a clear and obvious error. It is not going to be overturned I'm sure by an on-field review after consultation with Valerio Marini. Palma might be bailed out here. Is that a foul by Jos Simeone? Did he kick through Cirkati? It is technically a foul. It looks very soft. Palma didn't really appeal. But those are the laws of the game. Does Daniele Doveri see that as a foul? That's what Valerio Marini has flagged up. Cirkati plays the ball. Simeone then collides with the Australian defender. By the letter of the law that is a foul. And therefore it would prevent the penalty from being confirmed. That was clearly a foul by Lovic on David Neris. Daniele Doveri has seen enough. And the decision is overturned. It's a foul on the Palma player. The biggest roar of the night is from the Tardini faithful. Simeone the guilty party for catching Cirkati. It's this challenge here which has stopped Napoli from winning a penalty. And it remains Palma nil, Napoli nil. The Partenope won't have a spot kick. And there it goes. Not the denouement they expected. Not the result they necessarily wanted at the start of play. But Lazio have done Napoli a big favour. The two-all draw at the Meazza coupled with the stalemate here at the Tardini mean that Napoli still have their noses in front in the title race.