Mauro Icardi’s 17th goal of the season took Inter back into the hunt for a place in Europe next season and dented Roma’s Champions League aspirations with a 2-1 win, last night.
Hernanes gave Inter the lead after 15 minutes but Radja Nainggolan’s equaliser looked like it would be enough to earn Roma their 11th draw in their last 15 games.
Icardi had other ideas, though, and his 88th-minute winner took Inter ahead of their city rivals Milan and to within four points of sixth-placed Fiorentina, who still have a game in hand.
Earlier yesterday, Udinese delivered a potentially knockout blow to Milan’s hopes of playing in Europe next season by beating the Rosso-neri 2-1.
Giampiero Pinzi and Emmanuel Badu turned Udinese’s superiority into goals in the second half to earn the Bianconeri their first win in six matches, and send Filippo Inzaghi’s men tumbling to their first defeat since March 16.
Giampaolo Pazzini grabbed a late consolation, but it was not enough to prevent a loss which could see Milan’s deficit on Serie A’s top five grow to 10 points today with six games of the season remaining.
At the San Siro, both Inter and Roma looked keen in a lively opening in which both defences had to be at their best to deal with the respective threats posed by two attack-minded formations.
Hernanes found a way through in the 15th minute with his shot from 20 metres curling away from Morgan De Sanctis into the far corner – a goal which will have meant even more to a former Lazio player.
Moments later, Victor Ibarbo hit the post after Gervinho’s effort was blocked by Andrea Ranocchia.
That showed how slender Inter’s lead was, and a bright start to the second half from Roma made it look even more precarious.
Alessandro Florenzi blazed over from a good position after being found by Miralem Pjanic, and an even better ball from the Bosnian set up Nainggolan to bring Roma back on terms.
The Belgian needed only one touch from Pjanic’s diagonal ball, and that was a sweet low shot past Samir Handanovic.
Pjanic then had a free-kick parried by Handanovic with Nemanja Vidic turning the loose ball behind with Seydou Keita and Ibarbo both waiting to pounce as Roma started to get on top.
The game became stretched and Inter coach Roberto Mancini took a gamble by sending on Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski, fielding effectively six attacking players for the final 15 minutes.
It paid off too with Icardi, only moments after he blazed a shot over from 15 metres, turning a perfect pass from Podolski below De Sanctis and in.
Allegri relaxed
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri sounded relaxed ahead of a Turin derby which could see his side retain their Serie A title today.
Allegri told a news conference he was “in no hurry to end the league but would like to keep on earning points.”
Juve have a 15-point lead over Lazio and Roma with seven games remaining.
A derby win against Torino this afternoon would secure the club’s fourth successive ‘scudetto’ should Lazio lose out to Chievo.
“We need six more points to win the title,” said Allegri, whose side face Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final next month.
“I don’t think we can win it all tomorrow (today); I haven’t really thought about it.”
Juve haven’t lost the “Derby della Mole”, named after a Turin landmark, in 20 years.
Serie A
Played yesterday
Udinese 2
Pinzi 58; Badu 75;
Milan 1
Pazzini 88;
HT: 0-0. Att: 11,000.
Inter 2
Hernanez 15; Icardi 88;
Roma 1
Nainggolan 63;
HT: 1-0. Att: 38,000.
Standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 31 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 59 | 15 | 73 |
| Lazio | 31 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 58 | 30 | 58 |
| Roma | 32 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 43 | 25 | 58 |
| Napoli | 31 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 53 | 37 | 53 |
| Sampdoria | 31 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 38 | 31 | 50 |
| Fiorentina | 31 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 35 | 49 |
| Inter | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 48 | 38 | 45 |
| Genoa | 31 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 36 | 44 |
| Torino | 31 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 36 | 33 | 44 |
| Milan | 32 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 45 | 39 | 43 |
| Palermo | 31 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 44 | 45 | 41 |
| Udinese | 32 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 36 | 43 | 38 |
| Sassuolo | 31 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 37 | 46 | 36 |
| Chievo | 31 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 32 | 36 |
| Verona | 31 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 54 | 36 |
| Empoli | 31 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 32 | 38 | 34 |
| Atalanta | 31 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 27 | 42 | 30 |
| Cesena | 31 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 28 | 53 | 23 |
| Cagliari | 31 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 35 | 61 | 21 |
| Parma (-7) | 31 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 58 | 13 |
Playing today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Empoli - 12.30
Fiorentina vs Cagliari - 18.00
Genoa vs Cesena
Lazio vs Chievo
Napoli vs Sampdoria - 20.45
Parma vs Palermo
Torino vs Juventus
Verona vs Sassuolo
Top scorers
18 goals: Tevez (Juventus).
17 goals: Icardi (Inter).
16 goals: Menez (Milan).
15 goals: Toni (Verona).
13 goals: Higuain (Napoli), Dybala (Palermo).
12 goals: Quagliarella (Torino).
Next fixtures
Tuesday: 20.45 Udinese vs Inter.
Wednesday: 20.45 Cesena vs Atalanta; Chievo vs Cagliari; Juventus vs Fiorentina; Lazio vs Parma; Milan vs Genoa; Palermo vs Torino; Sampdoria vs Verona; Sassuolo vs Roma.
Thursday: 20.45 Empoli vs Napoli.
Serie B
Avellino vs Entella - 1-1
Brescia vs Cittadella - 0-0
Frosinone vs Carpi - 1-0
Modena vs Crotone - 3-0
Perugia vs Livorno - 1-1
Pro Vercelli vs Latina - 1-1
Spezia vs Trapani - 3-0
Vicenza vs Varese - 1-0
Virtus Lanciano vs Pescara - 0-1
Standings: Carpi 74; Vicenza 62; Frosinone 61; Bologna 60; Perugia 55; Pescara, Spezia, Avellino 54; Livorno 53; Virtus Lanciano 48; Bari, Catania 47; Modena 45; Ternana 44; Trapani 43; Latina, Pro Vercelli, Entella 42; Crotone 41; Cittadella 40; Brescia 33; Varese 29.