Inter dropped two precious points after being held to a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina on Saturday and will lose top spot in Serie A depending on whether Roma won their home match against Atalanta yesterday.
A goal eight minutes from time from Per Kroldrup earned the Viola a deserved point after Inter had come from behind to snatch the lead in the second half.
Prolific strike duo Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o had each steered home right-wing centers to cancel out Keirrison’s early strike.
PHOTO: EPA
The result means Inter go two points clear of Roma having played a game more, while Fiorentina move up a place to eighth.
“After going ahead we gifted Fiorentina a second goal but these things happen in football — you’re often most vulnerable after scoring,” said Inter sporting director Marco Branca, who spoke as coach Jose Mourinho is boycotting the Italian press. “We aren’t bothered what Roma do against Atalanta.”
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli thought the draw was a fair result.
PHOTO: EPA
“Inter have strength of character and will always fight to the death. They put us under a lot of pressure and it was difficult to hold out. Their second goal was annoying because they shouldn’t have been able to break from our corner,” he said.
With Fiorentina winger Juan Vargas injured and top scorer Alberto Gilardino only fit enough for the bench, Inter began the match on the front foot with Wesley Sneijder having a shot tipped around the post.
From the resulting corner Milito had a glorious chance to put Inter ahead but could only hit the post.
The Nerazzurri were soon made to pay as Fiorentina sliced through their defense in the 11th minute.
Riccardo Montolivo waited for the right moment to release Gianluca Comotto, whose squared center was slammed into the net by Keirrison.
Jose Mourinho’s men responded by dominating possession, but could find no way through the well-organized Viola backline.
The home side continued to be dangerous on the counter-attack though and two minutes after the restart Stevan Jovetic almost doubled the lead but, slipped in by Montolivo, the Montenegrin screwed his finish wide.
Just as it seemed Inter had run out of steam, they turned the game on its head with goals in six minutes.
On 75 minutes Sneijder sprayed the ball wide to Maicon, whose first-time cross from the right was steered home by Milito, before substitute Mario Balotelli delivered the perfect center for Eto’o to score.
Inter’s celebrations lasted but a minute, however, as goalkeeper Julio Cesar missed another cross and Kroldrup scrambled home to snatch a point.
In Saturday’s early match, Napoli lost 3-2 at home to Parma.
Walter Mazzarri’s men appeared to be cruising after Fabio Quagliarella had side-footed them into a third-minute lead, but Parma struck twice in six second-half minutes to go ahead through Luca Antonelli and Alessandro Lucarelli.
Marek Hamsik leveled for Napoli on 78 minutes but after Quagliarella was given his marching orders, Luis Jimenez struck with three minutes left to give Parma a rare away win.
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