Napoly's Victor Osimhen, left, and Inter's Stefan de Vrij jump for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
ROME (AP) - Edin Dzeko's second-half equalizer at Napoli secured for Inter Milan a 1-1 draw and the Serie A lead on Saturday.
Napoli could have gone on top with a win. Instead, Inter has a one-point lead over Napoli with a game in hand, and third-placed AC Milan was one point further back in their three-way battle for the title.
Milan hosts Sampdoria on Sunday and could leapfrog city rival Inter at the top of the standings with a win.
Napoli was awarded a penalty after four minutes when Stefan De Vrij fouled Victor Osimhen in the box. The referee did not immediately notice the foul and pointed to the penalty spot only after a VAR check. Lorenzo Insigne fired in a powerful shot to the right of goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Napoli came close to doubling its lead in the 12th when Piotr Zielinski hit the post.
Dzeko leveled just after the interval with a bit of luck. The Bosnia forward fluffed his header in the box but the ball ricocheted off Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo and back into his path. Dzeko's killer instinct was then on display as he fired into the top corner from a tight angle.
'œWe could've done more, as we went a bit too deep in the second half and Dzeko scored an incredibly difficult goal from that angle,'ť Napoli center back Kalidou Koulibaly said.
ZACCAGNI SHINES
Mattia Zaccagni scored twice and was involved in Lazio's other goal as they defeated Bologna 3-0 to move to sixth place.
The attacking midfielder has been in great form under coach Maurizio Sarri and was recently called up by Italy for a training camp.
He has six goals in 19 Serie A matches, his best total in a single season.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Napoli's Victor Osimhen is caught in between two Inter players during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne scores his side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Mattia Zaccagni, left, is fouled by Bologna's Adama Soumaoro during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Mattia Zaccagni, right, scores during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Luis Alberto, foreground, vies for the ball with Bologna's Marko Arnautovic during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Ciro Immobile, right, is congratulated by teammate Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after scoring during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Ciro Immobile scores on a penalty kick during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Lazio's Luiz Felipe, top, heads the ball during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Bologna at Rome's Olympic stadium, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti gestures at the end of the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
Napoli's Victor Osimhen refreshes during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
Inter's Edin Dzeko, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press
Inter's Edin Dzeko, left, celebrates with teammate Denzel Dumfries after scoring his side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Inter Milan at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
The Associated Press