Another draw, this time with a bitter aftertaste. Napoli failed to overcome Parma in the rescheduled match of Serie A's sixteenth matchday, and the match at the Maradona ended 0-0, a result that put a damper on Antonio Conte's men's title hopes after the valuable 2-2 draw at San Siro against Inter.
The Azzurri climb to 40 points, while Parma suffers a very heavy draw that takes them to 22, consolidating a position of relative safety, eight points above the relegation zone.
Conte, fresh from the Super Cup triumph in Riyadh that forced the match to be postponed, must deal with an organised and aggressive opponent.
Cuesta surprised the team with a wide rotation ahead of the crucial clash against Genoa, leaving out key players like Bernabé, Valeri, Delprato, Pellegrino, and even Corvi. In goal, Rinaldi, born in 2002, replaced the injured Suzuki: a choice that would prove crucial.
The young goalkeeper was a key figure from the start. In the 11th minute, he had little to do with the chaotic move that led to McTominay's disallowed goal, but then he took center stage: in the 27th minute, he sped to deflect a sure header from Buongiorno, and six minutes later, he made a superb save to block a fierce volley from Hojlund.
The only mistake came in the 53rd minute, when he clashed with Circati and lost the ball, but Keita made up for it by closing down the Napoli striker who was on target.
Conte attempted to change the game with a triple substitution on the hour mark: Spinazzola, Elmas, and Neres came on, the latter then being sacrificed in the closing stages for Lucca. Parma, however, remained orderly in their own half and conceded very little.
The Neapolitan siege intensified in the closing minutes, particularly with the introduction of Vergara for Politano: the 22-year-old created a chance for Lobotka, who, however, fired centrally, allowing Rinaldi to intervene. Shortly afterward, Delprato saved the Ducali, beating Neres to a Spinazzola pass that would have left the Italian winger alone in front of the goalkeeper.
The final whistle confirmed the visitors' celebration and the collective embrace around their young hero, the true star of the evening. For Parma, it was a golden point; for Napoli, however, a 0-0 draw that weighed like a defeat in the tight title race.
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