Inter maintained their four-point lead in Serie A after the champions drew 1-1 at Lazio and second-placed Roma managed the same score at lowly Cagliari yesterday.

Hernan Crespo put Inter ahead when he stabbed in Maicon's early cross but the visitors were often sloppy and paid the price when Tommaso Rocchi beat the offside trap and scuffed home in the second half.

Inter, who lost their second league game of the season against Juventus last weekend, had a troubled build-up to the game with Jose Mourinho's personal adviser saying the Portuguese coach was talking with the club. Mourinho later denied being in Milan.

Roma failed to put full pressure on Inter in the early kick-off with Francesco Totti's calibrated free-kick on half-time cancelling out Matteo Ferrari's early own goal for Cagliari, who climb out of the bottom three for the first time since November.

The Sardinians, who won their appeal on Wednesday against a three-point deduction for a legal wrangle, went ahead when a corner hit Ferrari and rolled in.

Roma, at home to Manchester United in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg, increased the tempo and Brazilian Mancini missed horribly by striking the post.

Totti brought the visitors level just before the break with a long-range free-kick which crept into the corner but Cagliari hung on to a hard-earned point in their fight for survival in Serie A.