Inter’s crisis deepened on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 at Catania, leaving them with just four points from six Serie A matches this season.
Depending other results this weekend, the 2009-2010 Champions League winners could even finish the weekend in the relegation zone.
Their neighbors AC Milan ended their own recent slump, though, with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat of Palermo.
Photo: EPA
However, Napoli missed out on the chance of going top as they fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Parma.
Inter took an early lead through Esteban Cambiasso, but two goals in the space of four minutes at the start of the second period turned the game on its head.
Sergio Almiron restored parity on a counterattack and then Francesco Lodi notched the winner from the penalty spot.
It means Inter have won just two games this season in nine matches in all competitions, including August’s Italian Super Cup, having lost six of those.
It also brought to an end coach Claudio Ranieri’s positive impact on the team since taking over from Gian Piero Gasperini.
Having won his first two games, he has now lost two in a row, including the 3-0 home defeat to Napoli two weeks ago.
Ranieri, though, felt it was too soon to talk of a crisis.
“We have to see, we said in the preparation for this game that we have to get points,” Ranieri said. “We haven’t managed it, we’re going home with no points and it hurts. In the first half we were very compact, we paid attention, but in the second we conceded two counters at the beginning.”
In a low-key first half, the only real chance of note resulted in a goal after just six minutes.
Following a smart exchange with Dejan Stankovic, Maicon crossed from the right and Cambiasso arrived at the back post to hit a firm volley that bounced past Mariano Andujar, who got a touch, but not a firm enough one.
The game really exploded into life at the start of the second half when Gonzalo Bergessio broke from deep, holding off Lucio, before slipping the ball wide to Almiron, who finished crisply across Luca Castellazzi.
Moments later, Castellazzi gave away a penalty for a foul on Bergessio, although television replays suggested there had been no contact between the pair.
Castellazzi was booked and Lodi stepped up to score from the spot, but the goalkeeper protested the penalty award.
“It wasn’t a penalty, I didn’t touch anything with my hands, he left his legs back looking for contact,” he said.
At the San Siro, Milan were dominant with their attacking triumvirate of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Antonio Cassano bristling.
Ibrahimovic stood the ball up to the back post for Alberto Aquilani to head back across goal, where Antonio Nocerino tapped home for a brilliant opener.
Ibrahimovic’s delightful reverse pass then put in Robinho to squeeze his shot inside the far post.
Cassano rounded off the scoring with a simple third following Ignazio Abate’s cross as Palermo’s defense went missing.
Goals from Massimo Gobbi and Francesco Modesto either side of Giuseppe Mascara’s effort for the hosts gave Parma a surprise win and dented Napoli’s title hopes.
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