Napoli failed to win for only the second time in Serie A this season, Giovanni Di Lorenzo cancelling out the Giovanni Simeone opener, even though Verona ended the game with nine men.
The Partenopei had the chance to break away at the top with Milan and Inter going head-to-head this evening. Kalidou Koulibaly was suspended with Faouzi Ghoulam, Kostas Manolas and Kevin Malcuit injured, but Victor Osimhen and Lorenzo Insigne returned. Verona beat Lazio, Roma and Juventus since Igor Tudor took over, but missed Darko Lazovic, Ivan Ilic and Gianluca Frabotta.
Napoli wore their new special edition Diego Armando Maradona kit, marking a year since the legend’s death.
Gianluca Caprari had the first real chance, his shot from the edge of the box palmed off the line by David Ospina.
The warning was not heeded, because moments later Verona took the lead. Antonin Barak shrugged off Mario Rui and pulled back from the by-line, where Giovanni Simeone got in front of Amir Rrahmani to prod in from six yards.
Napoli got back on level terms almost immediately, a free kick was not cleared properly, Fabian Ruiz laid it off for Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who squirmed the finish under Lorenzo Montipò at the near post.
Matteo Politano couldn’t keep the header in from an Insigne cross to the back post, while Barak had a series of efforts charged down, including one Rrahmani deflected into the path of Ospina.
Insigne forced Montipò into an acrobatic save at the near top corner, then Politano burst down the right to find Osimhen, who hooked the ball and spun round in the same movement, thumping the far post from seven yards.
Napoli had penalty appeals on the stroke of half-time, but the Verona player had his arms clamped behind his back.
The second half was more of a battle, with both teams defending better. Barak aimed a weak finish straight at Ospina when sent through by Simeone.
Pawel Dawidowicz charged down an Insigne strike with his face, but Verona shot themselves in the foot when substitute Daniel Bessa managed to receive two yellow cards in eight minutes.
Dries Mertens almost got the winner in the final minute, his free kick beating Montipò and the wall only to be denied by the base of the near post.
Hellas lost their heads, Nikola Kalinic the second substitute to be sent off for a second bookable offence, elbowing Mario Rui.
Napoli threw the kitchen sink at Verona in stoppages, but they held out for a point, just as they did in the last game of the previous season, when denying the Partenopei a top four finish.
Napoli 1-1 Verona
Simeone 13 (V), Di Lorenzo 18 (N)
Sent off: Bessa 88 (V), Kalinic 93 (V)
Ridiculous play-acting by Napoli to get the Verona player sent off.
Even worse the Ref fell for it. SHAMEFUL!