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Parma ended the game with eight men against Napoli's 10 after a powderkeg of a match with some dreadful refereeing decisions.
Paolo Cannavaro faced his former club, but another ex-Parma star Matteo Continu was suspended along with Michele Pazienza. Napoli were targeting the Intertoto Cup, but for Hector Cuper's men survival was the ultimate goal. At least the Gialloblu knew they had already beaten them earlier this season, knocking them out of the Coppa Italia, but went into this game without Fernando Couto, Reginaldo, Bernardo Corradi, Ferdinand Coly or Andrea Pisanu.
Ezequiel Lavezzi had penalty appeals turned away for a Paolo Castellini nudge and Luca Bucci comfortably smothered a Mariano Bogliacino strike. Paci did very well to close down Marek Hamsik when clear on goal, as Napoli dominated the early phases.
The referee pointed to the spot for Fabiano Santacroce's challenge on Cristiano Lucarelli, but replays suggest if anything the Parma player was doing more of the shirt dragging. There was a curious moment as Cigarini and Igor Budan argued over who would take the penalty, but Budan won and fired a powerful yet central kick into the net.
Bogliacino failed to make the most of a Lavezzi cross from six yards, but in first half stoppages Parma went a man down. Mannini's header cracked against the crossbar and as both went for the rebound he collided with Mariga McDonald. The referee suggested this was a foul and last man, but the replays again leave quite a lot of doubt. Maurizio Domizzi blasted the penalty under the crossbar to equalise.
Despite playing with 10 men, Parma risked going in front again with Gennaro Iezzo blocking an Andrea Gasbarroni free kick. At the other end Bogliacino's diving header shaved the post.
Falcone charged down a Lavezzi strike from eight yards, but Napoli eventually got a deserved lead through Bogliacino's powerful left-foot volley at the near post from Marek Hamsik's cross.
The tension was palpable and when Lavezzi was hacked down by Castellini and only booked, a brawl broke out between the two teams. Walter Gargano and Giulio Falcone were sent off for their part in the vicious row, but Castellini remained on the field.
It was boiling point at the Tardini and minutes later Gasbarroni was shown a straight red card for a truly appalling kick on the back of Garics' legs.
Substitute Roberto Sosa was about to make it 3-1 for Napoli, but Bucci parried the shot with his legs. Yet Lucarelli almost drew eight-man Parma level with an angled drive beaten away by Iezzo's legs at the near post.
Sosa blasted another great opportunity over under pressure from Paci, but Parma thought they had equalised three minutes from time. Iezzo spilled Domenico Morfeo's shot into the path of Lucarelli, but he was flagged marginally offside.
Sosa had the chance to finish it off in stoppages and shaved a coat off paint off the base of the near post.
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