Scott McTominay muzzled as nervy Napoli and irate Inter fluff lines in Serie A title race amid VAR drama

It's as you were in this gripping Serie A title race after both Napoli and Internazionale fluffed their lines on the penultimate day of the season.

On a dramatic Sunday night in the quest for the Scudetto, Scotland internationalist Scott McTominay and Napoli were held 0-0 by Parma at Stadio Ennio Tardini, while Inter led not once but twice at home to Lazio before drawing 2-2 at San Siro.

Napoli go into the final week of the season leading by one point over Inter, who will rue letting the chance to regain top spot slip against Lazio, who are chasing Champions League football. Napoli's final match is at home to Cagliari, while Inter are at Como.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte calls for calm during the match against Parma. | Getty Images

McTominay and fellow Scotland internationalist Billy Gilmour both started for Napoli against relegation-threatened Parma but did not put in a sparkling performance against an obdurate opponent who had plenty to play for.

However, their manager Antonio Conte led the celebrations with his players and band of travelling fans as they learned of Inter's draw. A win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona will clinch only Napoli's fourth title.

How a dramatic night unfolded in Serie A

At the Tardini, Parma started the game brightly and Bonny had the first shot on goal after good work from Hernani, although the striker's effort was too central and easily held by Alex Meret in the Napoli goal.

The visitors were toiling to get a foothold as Gilmour attempted to wrestle control of the midfield, although there were strong claims for Napoli penalty on 17 minutes when Matteo Politano's cross struck the trailing arm of Parma defender Botond Balogh. Referee Daniele Doveri waved the appeals away.

Napoli were getting little change out of the well-drilled Parma backline and it was the hosts who had the next shot on target. On the counter-attack, the ball was worked out wide right to Simon Sohm and the Swiss' shot required a smart save from Meret. From the corner, the keeper clattered into McTominay, punching the Scotsman in the face. A little dazed, the midfielder got to his feet.

Napoli then had their best moment on 33 minutes. The ball was fed into Frank Zambo Anguissa and he flicked the ball over Giovanni Leoni's head and smacked a first-time volley from just inside the penalty box that cracked the inside of the post and away to safety.

Yann Bisseck opens the scoring for Inter against Lazio. | Getty Images

That was the last meaningful action in the first half but 130 kilometres north-west in Milan, there was a goal right on the stroke of half time. Inter had dominated against Lazio without being able to break through but that all changed in the second minute of stoppage time when the defending champions finally broke the deadlock.

The man who netted was an unlikely source of goals, as defender Yann Bisseck had only netted twice prior to this match. However, he was in the right place at the right time to fire home after Federico Dimarco's effort had been deflected on to post.

It meant that going into the break across Italy, Inter were back on top of Serie A by a point. Napoli needed to respond.

So much to play for

Having looked secure at the bottom of the league at the interval, Parma were also now in a bit of peril. Lecce led at Torino while Empoli had turned it around in Monza, leading 3-1.

Napoli flickered into life on 57 minutes when Giovanni Raspadori drilled a cross into the box but Zion Suzuki palmed it away, before Politano's cross-shot cracked off the top of the crossbar with Parma's Japanese goalkeeper beaten.

Conte turned to his bench on 66 minutes with two changes, as David Neres and Philip Billing were introduced for Raspadori and Gilmour. The Rangers academy graduate wasn't able to get a hold of the match.

Billy Gilmour started for Napoli. | Getty Images

McTominay had been quiet too, stationed more wide left than central, although he was crudely brought down on 69 minutes by Enrico del Prato not far from the edge of the penalty box. The Scot himself took the free-kick and his rasping effort was brilliantly saved by Suzuki.

If they were left to rue that intervention, the news from the San Siro was much better. Lazio had levelled on 74 minutes against Inter, with veteran Spanish forward Pedro coming off the bench to level matters. Napoli were back on the summit as we entered the closing stages. The goal was originally ruled out for offside but a VAR review led to it being awarded.

Parity lasted just five minutes. Inter went back in front through Denzel Dumfries, powering home a close-range header. Advantage the Nerazzurri.

McTominay muzzled

Parma brought on a raft of subs to freshen their team up. The petrol tank was emptying after putting so much effort to muzzle McTominay and Co.

The drama was coming at the San Siro. Another VAR inspection was called on 88 minutes for a handball in the Inter penalty area. Both managers Simeone Inzaghi and Marco Baronu were sent off before referee Daniele Chiffi deemed that Bisseck had handled the ball. Pedro stepped up to take the spot-kick. No mistake.

The pressure was telling back in Parma. Now Conte and his Parma counterpart Christian Chivu were shown red cards for remonstrations on the touchline. Both teams had seven minutes of stoppage time to find a winner.

Pedro fires home a crucial penalty for Lazio. | Getty Images

Then a huge moment. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Neres tumbled under the challenge of Mathias Lovik. It was a soft award. During an enormously long VAR check, referee Doveri was finally asked to look at the monitor. At the same time, Inter had a Marco Arnautovic goal disallowed for offside. Eventually, the penalty award was annulled. Where to look.

Finally, the full-time whistles. Parma 0-0 Napoli, Inter 2-2 Lazio. Time to breathe. As you were in this most gripping title race. Make sure you look again next weekend.

Bologna miss out on Champions League

Elsewhere on a dramatic night of Serie A action, Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson and Bologna went down 3-2 to Fiorentina in a damaging defeat for their Champions League hopes. Four days after winning the Coppa Italia, Ferguson and his team could not prevail in Florence and now can’t finish in the top five going into the last day.

It was better news for fellow Scotsman and former Celtic and Hibs midfielder Liam Henderson as Empoli won 3-1 at Monza to keep their hopes of beating the drop alive. While Henderson came off at half time with Empoli traling 1-0, they scored three second-half goals and sit joint-18th going into their final match at home to Verona, who are three points ahead of them.