Their Scudetto dreams in tatters, Napoli host Bologna on Tuesday looking for a midweek morale boost with a win that would help their bid to secure Champions League football next season.

A 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan on Saturday left Maurizio Sarri's men still in second place in Serie A, but they are nine points adrift of leaders Juventus with five games to play, meaning their dreams of a first league title in 26 years are virtually over.

With Roma in third place and only five points behind them ahead of the sides' meeting in the Italian capital next Monday, Napoli are now desperate not to loosen their grip on the league's second automatic Champions League qualifying spot.

The Azzurri fans who bought 'Scudetto' pizzas and other Serie A title paraphernalia amid a very promising season by the Naples-based club will be expected to help the players lift spirits for Tuesday's fixture.

But the mood in Naples is gloomy.

Gonzalo Higuain, the club's 30-goal striker, will still be sidelined as he serves the final game of a three-match ban handed down following his dramatic meltdown on the way to a 3-1 defeat at Udinese two weeks ago.

Napoli have also imposed a ban on players and club officials talking to the media, following accusations of biased reporting in the Italian press.

Napoli remain unbeaten at their imposing San Paolo stadium this season, although one of their five league defeats came at Bologna's Renato Dall'Ara home in December, when the hosts won 3-2.

Bologna, who are seven points clear of the relegation zone, travel south looking to make amends for a last-gasp defeat to Torino on Saturday, when Andrea Belotti hit a 93rd-minute penalty for the visitors.

"We made far too many individual mistakes and we can't afford to be giving away penalties in the 93rd minute of a game, especially when we missed a great chance to settle the match only moments earlier," was the assessment of Bologna coach Roberto Donadoni, who had a brief stint in charge of Napoli in 2009.

A home defeat looks unlikely, but would certainly be welcomed by Roma ahead of their home fixture against Torino on Wednesday, when the remainder of the midweek fixtures will be played.

Juventus host Lazio in Turin looking to stretch their unbeaten run to 24 games after Saturday's 4-0 rout of Palermo while Inter, with eyes on the third and final Champions League qualifying place, are away to Genoa.