Antonio Conte’s team are a point behind reigning champions Inter, who narrowly beat Genoa yesterday, due to Assane Diao’s drilled winner in the 77th minute for Como.

Inter visit next in a match which could well be crucial to the destination of the Scudetto, while Atalanta lurk a further five points back ahead of their match at Empoli later today.

Napoli shot themselves in the foot in the seventh minute when Amir Rrahmani passed the ball into his own net, but looked to be on the way to a win when Giacomo Raspadori slotted home the leveller 10 minutes later.

But Diao’s third goal in as many games decided an entertaining match at Como’s lakeside Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia and put Cesc Fabregas’ team seven points above the relegation zone in 13th place.

The Under-21 Spanish international has scored five times since signing from Real Betis in January, one of a host of winter signings for wealthy Como.

Backed by tobacco giant Djarum, ambitious Como have Serie A’s richest owners and spent heavily in the winter transfer window in the hope that their first top flight season in over two decades not end in relegation.