Champions-elect Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw at Torino on Sunday, with the Serie A leaders letting slip a two-goal lead and leaving the title race ticking over with four rounds left.
Inter move to 79 points, 10 ahead of Napoli who won 4-0 at Cremonese on Friday. AC Milan are three points off Napoli in third ahead of their home game against fourth-placed Juventus later on Sunday. Torino are 13th on 41 points.
Inter appeared to be cruising after Marcus Thuram put them in front in the 23rd minute and Yann Bisseck doubled their lead 16 minutes after the break with another header but Torino clawed their way back into the game.
Giovanni Simeone pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining after a nicely crafted build-up and Nikola Vlasic equalised from the penalty spot nine minutes later.
The visitors created early chances with Manuel Akanji heading narrowly wide and Ange Yoan-Bonny’s shot forcing goalkeeper Alberto Paleari into a save before the opening goal.
Inter’s assist-man Federico Dimarco floated a delightful cross to the back post where Thuram rose unchallenged to squeeze his header past Paleari.
Dimarco was close to netting himself shortly after the break, Paleari palming his shot away, but the Inter wing back registered his 18th assist of the season when Bisseck got on the end of his corner to power a header in off the post.
Simeone started the comeback when he cleverly lifted the ball over onrushing keeper Yann Sommer from Emirhan Ilkhan’s pass. The goal saw Torino come to life and their pressure paid off when Carlos Augusto’s handball gave them a penalty.
Vlasic made no mistake from the spot and the hosts then withstood a late siege by Inter, with Piotr Zielinski pulling a shot wide in added time, to earn the point which means they are mathematically safe from relegation.
(Reuters)
