Napoli slowed Juventus's drive for a sixth straight Italian title by coming from behind to share the spoils in their eagerly anticipated Serie A showdown on Sunday.

The 1-1 draw leaves Massimiliano Allegri's squad six points clear of second-placed Roma, the only team with a realistic chance of catching the Turin giants with eight rounds of matches left to play.

Napoli are ten points adrift in third.

With Gonzalo Higuain making his first return to his former club in a Juventus shirt, it was always going to be a highly-charged affair and the Argentine striker was treated to over a minute of uninterrupted whistling when he walked out at a stadium where he was once idolized.

But the visitors quickly silenced the San Paolo crowd by claiming a 7th minute opener after the Napoli defence failed to adequately clear a punt towards their penalty area.

Germany midfielder Sami Khedira pounced on the loose ball and played a slick one-two with Croatia's Miralem Pjanic before firing the champions ahead.

Napoli dominated from then on. But clear chances were scarce before club captain Mareh Hamsik combined with Belgian winger Martens to equalise on the hour mark, beating Juve skipper Gianluigi Buffon with a sweet finish that found the top corner.

Higuain, whose 36 goals last season fired Napoli into the Champions League, had a subdued match in front of supporters who have branded him a 'Judas' over the manner of his departure in a 90 million euros ($96 million) deal concluded after a secret medical and without any time for goodbyes.

AC Milan's hopes of a return to European football next season suffered a setback earlier in the day when they were held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Pescara.

The dropped points left Vincenzo Montella's squad in seventh, two places and four points adrift of the final Europea League qualifying spot. "We have made it harder for ourselves but the door has not been shut," Montella said.

The seven times European champions only had themselves to blame after defender Gabriel Paletta's rash back pass and a blunder by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma combined to gift the side propping up the top flight a 12th-minute lead.

Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic equalised three minutes before the interval but a series of spurned chances cost Montella's men two points on a a day when close rivals Atalanta were thrashing Genoa 5-0 on their own ground.

The win enabled Atalanta, the season's surprise package, to leapfrog Inter Milan into fifth spot ahead of Inter's Monday night clash with Sampdoria.

Argentine striker Alejandro 'Papu' Gomez was again the visitors' hero, notching a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 14 league goals.

Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko had kept Roma's title hopes ticking over on Saturday with both goals in a 2-0 win over Empoli.

The former Manchester City forward, a revelation this season after initially struggling in Italy, took his tally for the season to 33 goals in all competitions - eclipsing the previous club record held by, among others, veteran captain Francesco Totti.

Lazio boosted their hopes of Champions League football next season by coming from behind to snatch a 2-1 win at struggling Sassuolo that moves them to within four points of Napoli.

A late own goal by Sassuolo defender Francesco Acerbi gave Simone Inzaghi's side all three points after Ciro Immobile's 18th league goal of the season cancelled out Domenico Berardi's penalty opener for the home side.

The clash was the first of three in eight days that could define the Roman club's season.

On Tuesday, Inzaghi's men will defend a 2-0 first-leg advantage in their Italian Cup semi-final with local rivals Roma before hosting Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.