Inter brought an end to Juventus’ 49-game unbeaten run in Serie A with victory at the Juventus Stadium, where the Bianconeri had never lost a game before.
Arturo Vidal’s goal after 19 seconds served only to inspire Inter, who turned the game around in the second half to move to within a point of Juve at the top of the table.
Diego Milito was on target twice for Andrea Stramaccioni’s side before Rodrigo Palacio sealed Inter’s seventh win in a row in the last minute.
Juve needed just 19 seconds to go ahead against the Nerazzurri although, like at Catania a fortnight ago, questions will be asked of an absent linesman’s flag.
Kwadwo Asamoah was beyond the last Inter defender when he received the ball from Claudio Marchisio’s touch, and it was his low cross which was met by Vidal at the far post to put the home team in front
Juve tried to provide justification for their lead with Marchisio twice being denied by Samir Handanovic after delightful passes from Andrea Pirlo picked him out inside the penalty area.
The linesman’s flag was raised at the other end of the field to rule out Palacio’s headed goal after he met Esteban Cambiasso’s quickly taken free-kick in the 12th minute.
Antonio Cassano then curled a shot just inches wide of the post as Inter pushed for an equaliser, but it was the home team who almost grabbed a second before the break when Vidal pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area, but his low shot was saved by Handanovic.
Inter came out fighting at the start of the second half with Palacio shooting into the side-netting from a tight angle having rounded Gianluigi Buffon.
A well-worked free-kick caught Juve out in the 59th minute with Marchisio resorting to tugging the shirt of Milito to prevent him from getting in a shot, but by doing so he gave away a penalty.
Milito stepped up to the spot to bring Inter level with a shot just beyond the reach of Buffon.
Inter took the lead in the 75th minute when substitute Fredy Guarin’s shot was parried by Buffon to Milito, who beat the despairing lunge of Leonardo Bonucci to score his and Inter’s second.
The Bianconeri sent everybody forward in search of an equaliser, but Nicklas Bendtner curled a shot from the goal line beyond the far post of an open goal.
Palacio then finished Juve off, completing a swift counter-attack after Juve committed too many men forward to end Juve’s unbeaten run.
Earlier, Bojan Krkic scored his first goal for a much-improved Milan side as they cruised to a 5-1 home win over lowly Chievo in Serie A yesterday.
The victory, which came after Milan’s best performance by far this season, moves them up to seventh on 14 points, and will relieve the pressure on manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Milan, who have never lost to Chievo at the San Siro, took the lead after 16 minutes through Urby Emanuelson.
But Chievo, who had lost 11 games in a row against Milan going into the match, equalised two minutes later when Sergio Pellissier met a corner at the near post and sent a powerful header past Christian Abbiati for his third goal of the season.
Chievo, fell behind 10 minutes before halftime when the impressive Riccardo Montolivo finished off a smart passing move by firing home a superb shot from nearly 20 metres.
Bojan extended the home side’s lead after 41 minutes with his first Milan goal when his long-range strike was deflected past Sorrentino by Dario Dainelli.
Milan were now dominant and with 15 minutes left Serie A top scorer Stephan El Shaarawy capitalised on Ignazio Abate’s great wing play and cross to tap home his eighth of the season.
Giampaolo Pazzini put the icing on the cake in added time when adding a fifth goal.
Serie A
Played yesterday
Milan 5
Emanuelson 16; Montolivo 36; Bojan 41; El Shaarawy 75; Pazzini 90;
Chievo 1
Pellissier 18;
HT: 3-1. Att: 33,360.
Juventus 1
Vidal 1;
Inter 3
Milito 59 pen, 75; Palacio 90;
HT: 1-0. Att: 38,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 8 | 28 |
| Inter | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 10 | 27 |
| Napoli | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 22 |
| Lazio | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 19 |
| Fiorentina | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 18 |
| Parma | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Roma | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 19 | 14 |
| Cagliari | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
| Milan | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 14 |
| Udinese | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 13 |
| Atalanta (-2) | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 |
| Catania | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 12 |
| Torino (-1) | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| Sampdoria (-1) | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 10 |
| Chievo | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 10 |
| Genoa | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 9 |
| Palermo | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 8 |
| Pescara | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 8 |
| Bologna | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 7 |
| Siena (-6) | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 3 |
Today – 15.00
Bologna vs Udinese
Catania vs Lazio
Fiorentina vs Cagliari
Napoli vs Torino
Pescara vs Parma - 12.30
Roma vs Palermo - 20.45
Sampdoria vs Atalanta
Siena vs Genoa
Serie B
Brescia vs Ternana 1-0; Empoli vs Pro Vercelli 2-1; Grosseto vs Ascoli 2-1; Livorno vs Bari 2-1; Novara vs Cittadella 0-1; Padova vs Cesena 1-1; Reggina vs Varese 1-1; Spezia vs Crotone 2-1; Vicenza vs Lanciano 0-1.
Tomorrow: 19.00 Modena vs Juve Stabia; 21.00 Verona vs Sassuolo.
Leading standings: Sassuolo 31; Livorno 26; Verona 25; Cittadella 20; Padova (-2) 19; Juve Stabia, Brescia, Spezia 18; Varese (-1) 17; Ternana 16.