AC Milan failed to take full advantage of Inter Milan's draw against Palermo last night as they were held to a draw at home to Napoli and missed the opportunity to leapfrog their city rivals to the top of the Serie A table.
Hugo Campagnaro put a lively Napoli ahead in the 13th minute, but Filippo Inzaghi equalised 12 minutes later.
Napoli enjoyed the better of the first half while Milan improved in the second 45 minutes, but neither side did enough to deserve more than a point, which takes the Rossoneri back to within a single point of Inter.
Inter Milan's draw at Palermo last night meant Milan had the chance to move to the top of the table with a win, but Napoli had other ideas.
They started the brighter and deservedly went ahead in the 13th minute.
Lavezzi drew everybody to the near post where Christian Abbiati and Massimo Oddo got in each other's way and ended up in a heap as the Argentinian forward pulled the ball back to his compatriot Campagnaro, who side-footed the it into the completely empty goal.
Napoli were showing no fear at all with Lavezzi and Fabio Quagliarella combining well.
A second goal seemed more likely than an equaliser, but when you have Ronaldinho on the field, anything can happen.
And the Brazilian weaved his magic in the 25th minute, lifting a cross to Inzaghi, who was glued in his usual position underneath the crossbar to head in the equaliser.
Napoli did not lose belief, though, and both Lavezzi and Quagliarella had chances to restore their advantage before Leandro Rinaudo's header needed a goalline clearance from Andrea Pirlo to prevent the Rossoneri from going in at the interval behind.
Quagliarella fired a volley straight against Abbiati midway through the second half as the visitors continued to set the tone.
However, Amantino Mancini should have put the home side ahead moments later when he was sent through on goal by Clarence Seedorf, but the former Inter forward shot straight at Morgan De Sanctis.
As the clock ticked down, Milan finally began to show the urgency of a side who scented the chance of moving to the top of the league.
The crowd tried to play their part too while Milan coach Leonardo sent Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on as a fourth striker in place of Seedorf.
But they were still unable to find a way through while Napoli regularly threatened to hit them on the counterattack, finding plenty of room as Milan committed men forward.
In the end, though, a draw was the fair result, even if it means Milan remain second while Napoli join Genoa in seventh place.
| AC Milan | Napoli |
| 12 Christian Abbiati | 26 Morgan De Sanctis |
| 19 Giuseppe Favalli | 77 Leandro Rinaudo |
| 33 Thiaguinho | 28 Paolo Cannavaro |
| 15 Gianluca Zambrotta | 14 Hugo Armando Campagnaro |
| 44 Massimo Oddo | 2 Gianluca Grava |
| 21 Andrea Pirlo | 23 Walter Gargano |
| 16 Mathieu Flamini | 5 Michele Pazienza |
| 9 Filippo Inzaghi | 7 Ezequiel Lavezzi |
| 10 Clarence Seedorf | 17 Marek Hamsik |
| 80 Ronaldinho | 27 Fabio Quagliarella |
| 7 Pato | 11 Cristian Maggio |
