Jonathan Biabiany scored a brace as Parma drew 2-2 away to Genoa yesterday to keep hold of fourth place in Serie A.
With Italy's top three all playing on Saturday it was the battle for fourth and a Champions League spot next season that took centre stage.
Parma came into their match in fourth after Sampdoria's 3-0 defeat at Milan on Saturday had dropped them to fifth. And with several teams within touching distance of that crucial Champions League qualifying position it promised an exciting day of action.
Rodrigo Palacio initially put Genoa in position to take fourth with a 14th-minute goal after shrugging off a Parma defender.
But Biabiany struck on 36 and 59 minutes to give Parma the lead before Raffaele Palladino equalised eight minutes later, leaving Genoa seventh.
Parma coach Francesco Guidolin said: "I'm not looking at the table at this time even if I like the look of it a lot and would happily see it finish right now.
"Unfortunately that won't be the case but the important thing is to back up our performances with results and once again today we showed that we're in rude health."
Rome moved up to sixth after triumphing in the Rome derby 1-0 against Lazio thanks to a 79th-minute goal from substitute full-back Marco Cassetti.
In a terrible game, marred by incidents that led to a six-minute stoppage, the first chance came on 61 minutes as Mauro Zarate shot against the post for Lazio before Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio made an instinctive one-handed save from Stefano Mauri's follow-up.
Simone Perrotta went close for Roma on 67 minutes before
Cassetti's scuffed shot from Mirko Vucinic's cross found the corner.
At one point during the afternoon Sardinians Cagliari, who had won five of their last six matches and beat Juventus 2-0 a week ago, had looked in pole position to go fourth as they led 1-0 at Palermo at half-time through Alessandro Matri.
But goals from Igor Budan and Simon Kjaer 10 minutes apart gave Delio Rossi his first win as boss of the Sicilians.
Fiorentina moved up to fifth after their 2-0 home win over Atalanta ended their two-match losing streak in Serie A.
Peru international Juan Vargas opened the scoring on 26 minutes with a left-foot rocket from outside the box and Italy forward Alberto Gilardino clinched the victory a minute from time.
The race for fourth is so tight that Parma are only five points above Palermo in 13th.
Napoli extended their unbeaten run since Walter Mazzarri took over from Roberto Donadoni to nine matches in all competitions as Fabio Quagliarella scored a brace, including the winner two minutes from time, in a 3-2 success at home to Bari.
Bari had led 2-1 just after the hour mark through goals from Paulo Barreto and Andrea Ranocchia but then had Alessandro Parisi dismissed.
Cristian Maggio restored parity before Quagliarella's late winner while Bari ended with nine men as Ranocchia also saw red in injury time.