Inter’s crisis deepened yesterday as they were beaten 2-1 at Catania leaving them with just four points from six Serie A matches this season.
Depending on today’s results, the 2010 Champions League winners could even finish the weekend in the relegation zone.
Their neighbours Milan ended their own recent slump, however, with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat of Palermo.
Napoli, though, missed out on the chance of going top as they fell to a shock 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 break-away 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 Supercup, 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,” he 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.
“We didn’t manage to continue what we’d been doing in the first half, we let Catania back into it and then they were compact like we’d been in the first half.
“We knew that staying compact we’re a very good team but when we get stretched we struggle.”
Catania coach Vincenzo Montella felt his team could have won by a wider margin.
“You have to remember that we were playing Inter and it gives me great pride to play this way against a great team,” he said.
“We always tried to push the game and I can say we deserved to win, even though if we’d been more clinical it could have been more comfortable.”
In a low-key first half the only real chance of note resulted in a goal after just six minutes of play.
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 exploded into life at the start of the second half as 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 against 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 defence 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 hurt Napoli’s title hopes.
Results
Serie A
Catania 2
Almiron 47; Lodi 51 pen;
Inter 1
Cambiasso 6;
HT: 0-1. Att: 28,000.
Napoli 1
Mascara 76;
Parma 2
Gobbi 57; Modesto 83;
HT: 0-0. Att: 48,000.
Milan 3
Nocerino 40; Robinho 55; Cassano 63;
Palermo 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 53,000.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 11 |
| Udinese | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 11 |
| Napoli | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
| Cagliari | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Palermo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Catania | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Parma | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Roma | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
| Lazio | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| Chievo | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Fiorentina | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| Genoa | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Novara | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 5 |
| Siena | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Atalanta | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| Inter | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 4 |
| Lecce | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Cesena | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Bologna | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
Today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Udinese
Cesena vs Fiorentina - 12.30
Cagliari vs Siena
Chievo vs Juventus
Genoa vs Lecce
Lazio vs Roma - 20.45
Novara vs Bologna
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Fiorentina vs Catania. 20.45 Juventus vs Genoa.
Sunday: 12.30 Lecce vs Milan. 15.00 Cagliari vs Napoli, Inter vs Chievo, Parma vs Atalanta; Roma vs Palermo; Siena vs Cesena; Udinese vs Novara. 20.45 Bologna vs Lazio.
Serie B
Ascoli 1 - Sampdoria 2
Bari 1 - Empoli 0
Cittadella 2 - Grosseto 0
Crotone 2 - Gubbio 1
Livorno 0 - Reggina 2
Nocerina 1 - Modena 1
Sassuolo 1 - AlbinoLeffe 0
Torino 1 - Juve Stabia 0
Vicenza 2 - Verona 1
Playing tomorrow
Brescia vs Pescara - 20.45
Standings: Torino 26; Padova, Sassuolo 20; Sampdoria, Reggina, Bari 17; Brescia, Pescara 16; Livorno, Varese 15; Grosseto 14; Cittadella 13; Verona 12; AlbinoLeffe 10; Nocerina, Crotone (-1) 9; Juve Stabia (-6), Empoli, Vicenza, Modena, Gubbio 7; Ascoli (-7) 2.