Como found an early breakthrough in an unlikely fashion, as Amir Rrahmani’s misplaced pass from outside the box inadvertently bounced past his goalkeeper and into an open goal, leaving the visitors trailing inside 10 minutes.
However, Napoli swiftly responded, with Giacomo Raspadori capitalising on a defensive lapse, dispossessing his marker in midfield before coolly slotting a low finish into the net – extending their away scoring streak to a league-best 11 games.
Napoli then took control, dictating play and pushing the Lariani onto the back foot in a bid to inflict their third consecutive home league defeat of the season as the first half came to a close.
Cesc Fàbregas’ men – spearheaded by Gabriel Strefezza – ramped up the pressure after the break, but Napoli stood their ground. Seeking a breakthrough, Antonio Conte turned to his bench just past the hour mark, introducing Giovanni Simeone and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
The changes nearly paid off instantly as Scott McTominay tested Jean Butez with a sharp point-blank effort, only for the Como goalkeeper to produce a stunning save to keep the scores level.
Just as Napoli thought they were getting back into the groove, Como struck against the run of play at the other end. Capitalising on a counter-attack, Assane Diao buried a low drive into the bottom left corner, restoring the hosts’ lead with less than 15 minutes remaining.
Despite their efforts, Napoli ultimately succumbed to a fourth straight winless league game, although the defeat marks their first in as many outings. They now sit one point behind leaders Inter Milan following a fourth league loss this campaign.
Meanwhile, Como find themselves in the ascendancy after back-to-back wins, with the narrow success over Conte’s men their first H2H triumph since November 1952.