Football

Napoli 0-0 Lecce, Serie A: Azzurri's European Hopes End With Goalless Season Finale

After a lacklustre first half, Napoli had chances to win the game in the second, but could not find a way through Lecce despite having 24 shots, five of them on target

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Napoli head coach, Francesco Calzona
info_icon

Napoli missed out on their slim chance to participate in Europe next season after being held to a 0-0 home draw by Lecce in their final Serie A game of the campaign on Sunday. (More Football News)

After a lacklustre first half, Napoli had chances to win the game in the second, but could not find a way through Lecce despite having 24 shots, five of them on target.

Napoli came close though, as Jens Cajuste hit the far post with a low strike shortly before Cyril Ngonge rattled the crossbar in the 64th minute.

Patrick Dorgu had already given the Azzurri a scare just nine minutes in, firing Lecce's first shot off Alex Meret's post.

Napoli had to win to climb to ninth place, but instead, finished below Torino, who lost 3-0 to recently crowned Europa League champions Atalanta, due to their head-to-head record.

Torino could now earn a Europa Conference League play-off spot if Fiorentina beat Olympiacos in that final on Wednesday. 

Data Debrief: Napoli's season fizzles out

Napoli finished the season on 53 points - it is the second-worst return for a team that started the season as Serie A reigning champions in the three-point-per-win era after Milan in 1996-97 (43). 

After scoring in each of their 12 home matches against Lecce in Serie A prior to Sunday's match, Napoli failed to find the back of the net against them for the first time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.