Napoli’s underwhelming defence of their Scudetto title means that a UCL spot could well be beyond them, even if Italy secure an extra place due to Serie A’s leading coefficient. The Partenopei came into this clash seven points adrift of Roma in fifth, meaning anything other than a win against relegation-battling Frosinone would all but end their aspirations.
Napoli took a while to warm up, but as soon as Victor Osimhen forced a strong stop from Stefano Turati around the 15-minute mark, they had plenty of opportunities to move in front.
They took one of them when Matteo Politano curled a delightful effort into the far corner from outside the area. However, Osimhen, Leo Ostigard, and Piotr Zielinski then wasted chances to extend the lead.
The hosts’ profligacy left the door open for the Canarini, who should have levelled things up in the 28th minute. A careless Amir Rrahmani challenge on Cheddira was penalised by referee Michael Fabri, giving Matias Soule a golden opening to restore parity, yet his resulting spot-kick lacked the required power to beat Alex Meret.
Within seconds of the restart, Osimhen was again denied by Turati before the Frosinone shot-stopper leapt like a salmon to keep out Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s header, and, against the run of play, the visitors made Napoli pay for their lack of a clinical touch.
Meret was at fault as his attempted pass was intercepted by Soule, allowing Cheddira to slot into the bottom corner with ease. Despite netting against his current employers, the Morocco international did not refrain from celebrating, which will hardly endear him to the Napoli faithful.
Eventually, Khvicha Kvaratshkelia burst into life, firing a shot into the side netting prior to testing Turati with a fierce strike. The Georgian was ultimately decisive as Napoli retook the lead, although not as he had planned.
It was his mishit shot that found Osimhen unmarked a few yards from goal, and it would have been harder for the centre-forward to miss the target than hit the back of the net.
That strike was perhaps harsh on Turati, but just as it seemed Napoli would subsequently canter to the three points, Cheddira threw another spanner into the works. On this occasion, there was nothing Meret could do, as the man of the moment powered a fantastic header home from Nadir Zortea’s cross.
Had Demba Seck used his head rather than inexplicably attempting to chest the ball over the line from inside the six-yard area, Frosinone may well have triumphed late on – even a Mario Rui red card in the closing stages for hauling down Seck didn’t give them the extra edge.
As it is, they have to make do with a share of the spoils, which keeps them in the bottom three with six games remaining. For Napoli, meanwhile, this was the latest disappointment in a campaign that has not lived up to expectations – just one win in six leaves them in eighth.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Walid Cheddira (Frosinone)
