Serie A: Crisis-club Napoli held by Genoa ahead of Barca visit

Napoli’s crisis deepened on Saturday after beating held to a 1-1 home draw by Genoa, another heavy blow for the ailing Serie A champion ahead of the midweek visit of Barcelona.

Cyril Ngonge saved a home point for Napoli in the final minute after Morten Frendrup had given Genoa the lead with a powerful first-time finish just after half-time.

Napoli ran away with the league title last season but is now 27 points behind current leader Inter Milan in ninth place, meaning its chances of a place in next season’s revamped Champions League are increasingly slim.

Six points separate Napoli from fourth-placed Atalanta, and that gap could easily be extended to nine as it hosts struggling Sassuolo on Saturday night.

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Ngonge’s low finish meant Napoli avoided a ninth defeat in all competitions since Mazzarri took over from sacked Rudi Garcia in November, but being booed off the pitch was awful preparation for its Champions League last 16 tie with Barca.

Neither Napoli nor Barca are having stellar seasons, but it would have been impossible to imagine how far Napoli would fall so soon after last season’s historic third league title.

Victor Osimhen should be back for Wednesday’s first leg in Naples after sitting out Saturday’s defeat, and he will be charged with finding goals for a team struggling to score.

But Napoli’s goal problems run deeper than Osimhen being at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, and it created very little against promoted Genoa who are 12th.

Until Ngonge levelled, it was Mateo Retegui who had the best opportunities of the game, forcing excellent saves from Alex Meret with two well directed headers in the first half.

Later on Saturday, second-placed Juventus travels to Verona trying to cut the 10-point gap separating it from Inter.