Bologna (Italy) (AFP) - Bologna made sure that Napoli would finish the weekend 18 points clear at the top of Serie A thanks to their 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Sunday.
Riccardo Orsolini lashed home the only goal of the game in the 76th minute to move Bologna up to seventh and edge runaway leaders Napoli even closer to their first league title since 1990.
Second-placed Inter had the chance to move back to within 15 points of Napoli, who beat Empoli 2-0 on Saturday, with a win.
But Simone Inzaghi's side looked drained after Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first leg victory over Porto and can now be caught by both AC Milan and Roma.
Milan are three points behind Inter while Roma are level on 44 points with the reigning champions ahead of their trip to bottom side Cremonese on Tuesday.
"We don't seem able to maintain the same levels of concentration when we play every two or so days," Inzaghi said.
"We have a packed fixture list and we used up a lot of energy against Porto on Wednesday, but we should still be doing better."
Without star striker Marko Arnautovic, Thiago Motta's Bologna also had a Musa Barrow goal disallowed for offside and struck the bar through Roberto Soriano in the first half.
Orsolini's winner was his seventh in Serie A this season, the Italian international pushing Bologna towards the European qualification places by scoring four times and adding assists in his last five matches.
Bologna are six points behind Atalanta who are at Milan in Sunday's late match and sit in the last European spot in sixth.
"We played very well, kept the ball to feet...We didn't let them have hardly any chances at all, it was an great performance," Motta said.
Bologna also move above Juventus who are hoping for a fourth straight league win against local rivals Torino on Tuesday after crushing Nantes to reach the last 16 of the Europa League last 16 in midweek.
M'Bala Nzola scored twice in his first start in a month in Spezia's 2-2 draw at Udinese which boosted his team's battle against relegation.
Angola forward Nzola is now on 11 league strikes for the season after putting Spezia ahead in the sixth minute and then levelling the scores with a neat first-time finish in the 72nd minute.
The 26-year-old had been out with a calf injury before returning as a substitute against Juventus last weekend.
Spezia are 17th, three points ahead of Verona who are just inside the relegation zone and host Fiorentina on Monday.
Four points ahead of Spezia are Salernitana who hammered Monza 3-0 in Sunday's only afternoon match.
