Inter Milan came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Palermo on Sunday and move within one win of the Serie A title.
The draw also maintained Inter's undefeated record.
After Andrea Caracciolo and Cristian Zaccardo scored first-half goals for Palermo, Julio Ricardo Cruz pulled one back for Inter in the 67th and Adriano equalized in the 74th with a header.
PHOTO: AP
Inter have 25 wins, six draws and no losses with seven matches remaining. The Milan team holds a 16-point lead on second-place AS Roma and can clinch the title with six games to spare if they beats AS Roma tomorrow.
"I don't like to celebrate beforehand but we're close," said Inter midfielder Luis Figo, who provided the crosses for both goals.
Roma bounced back from their 7-1 loss to Manchester United by beating Sampdoria 4-0. Roma captain Francesco Totti scored twice, bringing his league-leading total to 20 goals, matching his career-best season in 2003-04.
PHOTO: AP
Defenders Matteo Ferrari and Christian Panucci also scored for Roma, who faced biting criticism after their Champions League debacle in England last week.
"It was a reaction that I expected," Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said.
Kaka, Giuseppe Favalli and Ronaldo scored as AC Milan won 3-1 at Messina to move into fourth place and the Champions League zone for the first time this season.
Third-place Lazio played the final 15 minutes with 10 men and were held to a 2-2 draw at last-place Ascoli, snapping the Roman club's eight-match winning streak.
Inter lead the league with 81 points. Roma are next with 65 points, followed by Lazio with 56, Milan with 50 and Palermo with 49.
Also, 10-man Fiorentina won a Tuscan derby with Siena 1-0 thanks to a 43rd-minute goal by Adrian Mutu, and 10-man Atalanta held off Torino 2-1. Livorno and Reggina, and Parma and Catania each played out 1-1 draws.
Caracciolo beat Inter defender Nicolas Burdisso to redirect a shot by Fabio Simplicio for Palermo's opening goal in the third minute and Andrea Barzagli set up Zaccardo's fourth goal of the season in first-half injury time.
Inter forward Hernan Crespo exited with an apparent thigh problem in the 32nd and was replaced by Cruz.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent on to join Adriano and Cruz in Inter's attack in the 63rd and Cruz scored four minutes later, using the back of his head to redirect a cross from Figo.
In Rome, Totti scored with a long shot from beyond the area in the 21st and was set up by Amantino Mancini in the 66th. In between, Roma defender Christian Chivu hit the post.
Ferrari's goal came in the 72nd and Panucci notched his fifth of the season in the 87th from close range.
Sampdoria coach Walter Novellino was ejected for protesting in the 86th.
Milan went ahead with a long shot by Kaka in the 14th, Favalli was set up by Yoann Gourcuff in the 30th and Ronaldo scored with a rising shot from outside the area in the 86th. It was Ronaldo's fifth goal since joining Milan from Real Madrid in January.
Salvatore Masiello scored his first Serie A goal for Messina in the third minute of added time.
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