Between a Napoli side under pressure to secure their European spot as quickly as possible and a Bologna team playing with freedom, the carefree attitude prevailed in the first half at the Stadio Maradona.

Italiano’s side started brighter than Conte’s and took the lead in the 9th minute with a powerful left-footed strike from Bernardeschi inside the box, making it 0-1. Miranda also tried to capitalize on Napoli’s confusion, but the home side only responded in the 13th minute when Politano set up Alisson, only for Pessina to clear in two phases. It was not shaping up to be an easy night for a flat Napoli, and Bernardeschi launched a dangerous counterattack in the 18th minute, though Gutiérrez thwarted it.

The pace of the game began to drop as Napoli lacked attacking ideas, and things got worse for the hosts after the half-hour mark when VAR confirmed a penalty for Di Lorenzo’s foul on Miranda. In the 34th minute, Castro handed the ball to Orsolini, who converted from the spot to make it 0-2. However, just seconds before halftime, Napoli had a chance to redeem their lackluster first half through their captain: in the 47th minute, Di Lorenzo collected a rebound inside the area and fired right-footed under the crossbar to pull one back: 1-2.

The second half saw a completely different Napoli, evident from the very first play, which began with a Politano corner that Di Lorenzo met with a header. There was no regret, as in the 48th minute the Azzurri were again close to the opponent’s box, and after an assist from Hojlund, Alisson fired a powerful right-footed shot to level the score at 2-2.

The match was level again, but in terms of play, Napoli—energized by their fans—became the dominant side, as seen in Pessina’s desperate block on a Gutiérrez shot in the 62nd minute.

Despite Napoli’s urgency to get the best possible result, with substitutions and tactical changes, the game produced no major surprises in the final minutes until stoppage time, when Bologna caught the hosts off guard with Rowe, who scored the winning 2-3 goal in the 91st minute.

Conte’s team then fell at home, delaying—with fatigue and anxiety—their quest for a table position that would earn them a spot in the next Champions League edition.