Napoli's title dreams hit by Fiorentina defeat

MILAN: Napoli's hopes of a first Serie A title since the days of Diego Maradona suffered a blow on Sunday  (Apr 10) after they slumped to a 3-2 home defeat to Europe-chasing Fiorentina.

Last champions in 1990, Napoli would have moved top of the pile with a win in front of 50,000 fans in Naples but they stay a point behind league leaders AC Milan after goals from Nicolas Gonzalez, Jonathan Ikone and Arthur Cabral condemned Luciano Spalletti's side to a painful defeat.

They could end the weekend four points off the pace with six games remaining in an exciting campaign as Milan travel to Torino in Sunday's late match.

Napoli sit third, level on 66 points with Inter Milan whose title challenge is back on track following their 2-0 win over Verona on Saturday.

The manner in which southern Italy's biggest club flopped on a gorgeous day at the Stadio Maradona does not bode well for the run-in with fierce rivals Roma coming to town next weekend hunting a place in the Champions League.

Napoli were the better side until Gonzalez opened the scoring on the half hour with a thumping finish off the post, after which the hosts almost vanished from the field until the introduction of Dries Mertens 10 minutes after the break.

Mertens' first act was to almost lift the roof off the stadium by drilling home a superb first-time finish from Victor Osimhen's cut back, but the roars of the passionate crowd were soon extinguished by two quick-fire Fiorentina goals.

Just eight minutes had elapsed since Mertens' leveller when Ikone collected Gonzalez's cross and rifled his team back into the lead, and jeers began ringing around the ground in the 72nd minute when Cabral brilliantly curled in the third.

Osimhen, who had struggled all day to get the better of