Serie A title race between Napoli and Inter goes to final day and possibly further

MILAN (AP) — The fight for the Serie A title will go into the final day, and maybe even further.

Napoli could have clinched its second Italian league title in three years on Sunday but will have to wait after both Antonio Conte’s team and second-placed Inter Milan were held to draws.

League leader Napoli drew 0-0 at relegation-threatened Parma, and Inter drew 2-2 against Champions League-chasing Lazio to remain one point behind Napoli.

Napoli hosts Cagliari in the final round, while defending champion Inter visits Como.

If they finish level on points, a playoff will be needed to decide the destination of the league title.

Apart from the title fight, there was still almost everything else to play for in Serie A. That was why all but one of the 10 matches in the penultimate round kicked off simultaneously on Sunday.

Inter was perhaps under the most pressure of the two rivals as it knew a loss would hand Napoli the title if the leader won at Parma.

Yann Bisseck was both hero and villain at San Siro. He scored the opener in first-half stoppage time but also gave away a late penalty to allow Lazio to snatch the draw that took the title fight out of Inter’s hands.

Pedro had scored the first equalizer for Lazio in the 72nd minute before Denzel Dumfries headed Inter back in front seven minutes later.

That result would have sent Inter top of the table and left the Nerazzurri in control of their destiny.

However, Lazio was awarded a penalty when it was adjudged — on video review — that Bisseck had blocked Taty Castellanos’ volley with his arm.

Pedro converted in the final minute.

Inter thought it had snatched the win deep in stoppage time but Marko Arnautovic’s header was ruled out for offside.

Both Inter and Napoli coaches were sent off during the VAR check for the penalty. Conte and his counterpart were also sent off in Parma as there was late drama in their match too.

Napoli was initially awarded a penalty in stoppage time for a presumed foul by Mathias Løvik on David Neres but it was revoked on video review.

Napoli also hit the woodwork three times.

A quarter of the coaches in Serie A could be watching their team's final match from the stands as Milan's Sérgio Conceição will also most likely be given a one-match ban after being shown a red card as well.

Three teams are separated by two points in the fight for fourth place and the final Champions League spot.

Juventus moved into fourth with a 2-0 win over Udinese on Sunday. It is a point ahead of Roma, which beat 10-man AC Milan 3-1, and two points above Lazio.

Juventus visits relegation-threatened Venezia on the final day, while Roma travels to Torino and Lazio hosts Lecce, which will also be fighting for Serie A survival.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina beat Bologna 3-2.

Cagliari is mathematically safe from relegation, but it’s down to the wire for Hellas Verona, Parma, Empoli, Lecce and Venezia.

And that could also go to a playoff.

Venezia is currently second from bottom after its 3-0 loss at Cagliari but, on 29 points, is only two below Lecce (31) and Empoli (31).

Lecce beat Torino 1-0 and Empoli came from behind to win 3-1 at already-relegated Monza.

Parma (33 points) is only two points above the drop, with Verona a further point ahead after drawing 1-1 against Como.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Lazio's Pedro celebrates after scoring 2-2 during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Inter and Lazio at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, May 18 , 2025 (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Henrikh Mkhitaryan, right, fights for the ball with Lazio's Taty Castellanos, left, during a Serie A soccer match between Inter and Lazio at San Siro Stadium in Milan, North Italy, Sunday, May 18 , 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni fights for the ball with Lazio's Gustav Isaksen during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Inter and Lazio at San Siro Stadium in Milan, North Italy, Sunday , May 18 , 2025. (Spada//LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Yann Bisseck fights for the ball with Lazio's Taty Castellanos during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Inter and Lazio at San Siro Stadium in Milan, North Italy, Sunday , May 18 , 2025. (Spada//LaPresse via AP)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man handed an illegal prison sentence years longer than the maximum penalty for his crime has been granted clemency by Mississippi's governor, weeks after the man's brother received clemency in a similar case.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he was granting clemency to Maurice Taylor. The man's brother, Marcus Taylor, received clemency earlier this month from the governor for another illegal sentence.

In February 2015, both brothers accepted plea bargains and pled guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance.

At the time, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance was five years. Yet Maurice Taylor was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years suspended, and Marcus Taylor to 15 years.

“Like his brother, Maurice Taylor received a sentence more than three times longer than allowed under Mississippi law,” Reeves wrote in his announcement. “When justice is denied to even one Mississippian, it is denied to us all.”

In May, the Mississippi Court of Appeals had ruled that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief. After rehearing that case in November, the court reversed course and ordered his release.

In Wednesday's order, Reeves wrote that Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel contacted his office for the first time a few weeks ago, providing legal documents in his case. Maurice Taylor must be released within five days, according to Reeves’ order.

The Associated Press was not immediately able to identify and contact Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel.

The brothers are the only people to receive clemency from Reeves.

FILE - Republican Gov. Tate Reeves responds to a reporter's question during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)