Inter’s Danilo D’Ambrosio (centre) fights for the ball with Miguel Britos (left) and Jorginho.Napoli missed a chance to secure Champions League football next season when they shared a goalless draw with Inter in an entertaining encounter last night.
Rafael Benitez’s third-placed Napoli have 69 points and their lead over Fiorentina, in fourth place, is now eight points with three games to play.
Benitez’s men created plenty of chances but failed to capitalise on their superiority, particularly in the second half.
Jose Callejon was the main culprit, volleying wide from Dries Mertens’s pinpoint throughball in the 13th minute with the goal at his mercy, while Gokhan Inler struck the inside of the post with nine minutes left.
Earlier, Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina, who take on Napoli in next Saturday’s Italian Cup final, crushed relegation-threatened Bologna 3-0 thanks to a double from Juan Cuadrado and a deflected strike from Josip Ilicic.
Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain may miss the final after leaving the field on a stretcher four minutes before the end following a thumping challenge from Marco Andreolli on the edge of the box just as the Argentine striker was set to shoot.
Inter, who created chances of their own in a frantic first half, are fifth on 57 points. They are four points behind Fiorentina and six ahead of Milan, who lost 2-0 at Roma on Friday, and Parma who travel to Cagliari today.
Fiorentina had little trouble sinking Bologna, despite not having a conventional striker on the pitch.
Bologna were booed by their supporters after a toothless display that leaves them in the drop zone, level with third from bottom Sassuolo on 28 points.
Sassuolo host league leaders Juventus tomorrow.
Results
Serie A
Bologna 0
Fiorentina 3
Cuadrado 23, 87; Ilicic 34;
HT: 0-2. Att: 23,875.
Inter 0
Napoli 0
Att: 47,119.
Playing today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Genoa - 20.45
Cagliari vs Parma
Livorno vs Lazio
Sampdoria vs Chievo
Torino vs Udinese
Verona vs Catania - 12.30
Tomorrow
Sassuolo vs Juventus - 20.45
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 34 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 72 | 22 | 90 |
| Roma | 35 | 26 | 7 | 2 | 71 | 19 | 85 |
| Napoli | 35 | 20 | 9 | 6 | 64 | 36 | 69 |
| Fiorentina | 35 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 59 | 38 | 61 |
| Inter | 35 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 57 | 35 | 57 |
| Parma | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 53 | 44 | 51 |
| Milan | 35 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 53 | 46 | 51 |
| Torino | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 52 | 45 | 49 |
| Lazio | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 47 | 49 |
| Verona | 34 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 52 | 58 | 49 |
| Atalanta | 34 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 39 | 46 | 46 |
| Sampdoria | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 41 | 51 | 41 |
| Genoa | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 37 | 45 | 39 |
| Udinese | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 36 | 47 | 39 |
| Cagliari | 34 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 33 | 46 | 36 |
| Chievo | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 30 |
| Bologna | 35 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 27 | 55 | 28 |
| Sassuolo | 34 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 33 | 62 | 28 |
| Livorno | 34 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 36 | 67 | 25 |
| Catania | 34 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 26 | 59 | 23 |
Next fixtures
Sunday: 15.00 Catania vs Roma; Chievo vs Torino; Genoa vs Bologna; Parma vs Sampdoria; Udinese vs Livorno. 20.45 Milan vs Inter.
Monday, May 5: 19.00 Lazio vs Verona. 21.00 Juventus vs Atalanta.
Tuesday, May 6: 19.00 Fiorentina vs Sassuolo. 21.00 Napoli vs Cagliari.
Serie B
Avellino vs Crotone - 2-0
Cesena vs Brescia - 0-3
Empoli vs Spezia - 2-0
Latina vs Palermo - 1-3
Padova vs Bari - 1-2
Reggina vs Cittadella - 0-1
Siena vs Carpi - 0-0
Trapani vs Juve Stabia - 3-0
Varese vs Lanciano - 0-1
Standings: Palermo 75; Empoli 59; Latina 57; Crotone 55; Lanciano 54; Cesena 53; Siena, Trapani, Avellino 52; Spezia 51; Modena 50; Brescia, Bari 49; Pescara 47; Carpi 46; Ternana 45; Varese 43; Novara 40; Cittadella 39; Padova 35; Reggina 28; Juve Stabia 17.