S.S.C. Napoli kept their fading Serie A title defence alive with a dramatic late victory, leaving AC Milan staring at a collapsing campaign.

Super-sub Matteo Politano emerged as Napoli’s unlikely saviour, coming off the bench to fire a decisive 79th-minute winner at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The reigning champions now sit seven points behind Inter Milan with only seven matches left, while Milan’s already shaky title hopes took another damaging blow.

Early warning signs came when Youssouf Fofana forced a sharp save from Vanja Milinković-Savić, before Leonardo Spinazzola narrowly missed the target at the other end.

Milan relied on last-ditch defending, with Strahinja Pavlović producing a crucial block, while Scott McTominay failed to convert with an acrobatic effort in a forgettable first half.

The tempo shifted after the break as Napoli intensified the pressure, forcing Mike Maignan into a desperate save from a powerful strike.

Under mounting tension, coach Antonio Conte turned to his bench, a move that would ultimately decide the contest.

The breakthrough came through a clever attacking move, with a disguised pass unlocking Milan’s defence before chaos in the box allowed Politano to strike decisively.

Milan threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but a late header drifted just off target as Napoli clung on.

The result not only boosts Napoli’s survival in the title race but also deepens Milan’s growing crisis at a critical stage of the season.