Napoli stayed in touch at the top of Serie A following a 1-0 win over Chievo at the San Paolo thanks to a Marek Hamsik goal.
The Slovakian’s strike ensured that they would not rue the many unbelievable chances that they missed in the first half and reclaimed second spot in the Serie A standings.
Gokhan Inler rattled the crossbar early on with a ferocious effort but Stefano Sorrentino just about managed to prevent the onrushing Goran Pandev from putting Napoli ahead.
They should have went 1-0 up though when the always lively Lorenzo Insigne crossed beautifully for Christian Maggio who somehow managed to head the ball over from one yard with the goal at his mercy.
Insigne again tormented the Flying Donkeys defence and this time set up Pandev but the Macedonian attempted a flashy finish and fired over when it was easier to drill the ball home.
However, they finally took the lead that they deserved after the break when Hamsik found time and space just inside the area and drilled the ball home expertly, showing the rest how it is done.
The visitors saw out the game with 10 men when Kamil Vacek was given his marching orders for a second yellow card with just over 10 minutes remaining.
