Italian Serie A report: Napoli draw 1-1 against 10-man Atalanta

Napoli lost ground in the race for a place in the Champions League as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by struggling Atalanta, who ended the game with 10 men after Alejandro Gomez was dismissed.

Duvan Zapata saved Rafael Benitez's men from an even worse fate with his late equaliser after Mauricio Pinilla's goal for Atalanta while the hosts ended the game without the Spaniard on their bench after he was sent to the stands.

The draw means the Azzurri slip behind Sampdoria into fifth place in the standings, now five points behind third place and Champions League football next season - their minimum goal for the season.

Napoli may have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will play Wolfsburg next month, but qualifying for the Champions League next season remains their overall priority with three points at the Stadio San Paolo essential on Sunday night.

It did not look like they would have too many problems when Miguel Britos beat Marco Sportiello in the sixth minute, but his header was cleared off the line by former Napoli forward German Denis.

Sportiello had to be at his best again towards the end of the first half to deny Gonzalo Higuain with only a goal lacking for the home side in the first 45 minutes.

Sportiello denied Jose Callejon with his feet early in the second half and when Gomez picked up a second yellow card for a foul on the Spaniard in the 55th minute, it seemed it would only be a matter of time before Napoli took the lead.

Jonathan De Guzman hit the post minutes later, but it was Pinilla who stunned the San Paolo by putting Atalanta in front.

He robbed Henrique of possession before sending his shot past Mariano Andujar in the 72nd minute.

Atalanta started to try to play down the clock, infuriating Benitez and the home fans, although it did not succeed as Napoli levelled in the 89th minute through Zapata, who met Marek Hamsik's cross.

Hamsik went close to grabbing a winner in stoppage time while Benitez was sent to the stands for his continued protests, although it did not change the outcome of the game with Napoli slipping further adrift of their main objective for the season.