Napoli seems to be best placed to qualify for the Champions League as they sealed a crucial 2-0 victory over Palermo. The victory retained the southerners' grip on third place ahead of Wednesday's games when either Udinese, Inter Milan or Lazio could join them. Walter Mazzarris side needed only 35 minutes to successfully swathe up the match against a team with one of the worst Serie A away records with ten losses, seven draws and only one win as Edinson Cavani, with a penalty, and Marek Hamsik scored.
With just two games to go, Napoli is comfortably placed to qualify for Europe's premier club competition for the second time in a row.
Head-to-head records and not goal difference will be decisive if teams finish level on points at the season's end and Napoli have the edge on both Udinese and Inter.
First half goals from Cavani in the 16th minute, his 23rd league goal and Hamsik (35') did the damage as Napoli illustrated they are past the jinx that of late saw them lose three in a row and left them winless in five.
On the other hand, Roma trail these four teams level on 55 points by three points, although they have only two games left now, one less than their rivals.
In appalling conditions at Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi, it was about as far removed from a manifestation as one could imagine, with both ball and players powerless to follow any kind of natural route on a surface that resembled the Florida Everglades.
Passing the ball was near impossible on the deck, while high passes caused as many problems for attackers as it was just as difficult to estimate whether and how the ball would stick or spin on landing.
But a spell of half-chances just before half-time saw Francesco Totti and Bojan go close for Roma, while Chievo's inspiring midfielder Perparim Hetemaj enforced a smart stop from Gianluca Curci, but the break could not come swift enough; not at least for the ground staff, whose work to decrease the swampy.
Late foretaste of goal for Pellissier just about sealed the points on the stroke of injury time, but the Chievo skipper rushed at the chance, and fired over the bar from inside the box.
No breakthrough was approaching for either side as the match finished goalless, a result that, after the dreadful weather, had been a predetermined conclusion for a while.
Roma's season is now out of their hands, as they have played a game more than all their rivals for third place, who they trail by three points. Chievo in the meantime remain in 12th place, and continue their advancement towards a foreseeable mid-table finish.
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