There were some concerning signs early on for Bologna, with Victor Osimhen hitting the post and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia poking the rebound wide before Stefan Posch was forced off due to an injury.
But with only two Serie A teams conceding fewer goals than the Rossoblu ahead of this round of fixtures, it was not surprising to see them regroup well, and they limited Gli Azzurri in the areas that mattered, despite Kvaratskhelia looking menacing down the left.
One passage of play saw Lukasz Skorupski drop the ball, with Leo Skiri Ostigard challenging him, before Osimhen appealed for a penalty under pressure from Lorenzo De Silvestri, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo hit a shot that skewed off target.
While the miss deemed those moments inconsequential, Skorupski not being given a foul added to a growing sense of frustration towards referee Giovanni Ayroldi after Michel Aebischer had been shown a soft yellow.
Napoli’s most threatening attempt in the lead-up to the break saw Giacomo Raspadori strike marginally over, giving the champions much room for improvement after the break.
Those improvements weren’t immediately forthcoming, although Kvaratskhelia hit a venomous strike that was only awkwardly saved. And their big opportunity finally came when Riccardo Calaiori was adjudged to have handled the ball within five minutes of replacing the injured Jhon Lucumi, but Osimhen squandered by sending the ensuing penalty wide, seemingly condemning him to his fourth club match without a goal.
Joshua Zirkzee almost added to Osimhen’s embarrassment with Bologna’s first shot as the final quarter-hour approached, nutmegging Østigård before smashing a shot that Alex Meret parried wide.
There was also a shout for an apparent Napoli handball inside the area deep into added time, but while they would not be given their own chance from the spot, Bologna avoided defeat for the ninth time in 10 SA home matches as a consolation. Napoli, meanwhile, were unable to build on their UEFA Champions League victory in midweek, going winless in a third consecutive league game in a record that leaves them sitting seven points behind leaders Inter Milan.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Michel Aebischer (Bologna)
