Inter gifts Milan the upper hand

MILAN－Inter Milan handed local rival AC Milan the advantage in the Serie A title race on Sunday despite snatching a last-gasp 1-1 draw at Torino, as Napoli leapfrogged Inter into second place with a 2-1 win at Hellas Verona.

Alexis Sanchez hit the leveler in the third minute of stoppage time of an entertaining encounter in Turin which left Inter in third, four points behind Milan.

Simone Inzaghi's side has a game in hand, but it is now looking over its shoulder at Juventus, who is only three points behind its old rival in fourth after stringing together a 14-match unbeaten run.

That would have been unthinkable at the turn of the year when Inter was four points clear at the top and 12 ahead of Juve, but Inter is ragged after looking imperious before Christmas.

"We know that we need to do more, have a different approach to these games, if we want to retain the title," Inzaghi admitted to DAZN.

The equalizer by Sanchez was laid on by Edin Dzeko, who was Inter's worst culprit in front of goal after heading just wide on the hour and then nodding over from pointblank range moments before his Chilean teammate netted.

However, Inter could easily have lost in a deeply underwhelming display.

After Brazilian defender Bremer gave the host the lead with 11 minutes gone, Samir Handanovic brilliantly tipped wide Armando Izzo's free header in the 64th minute.

Seconds before, Robin Gosens saved his goalkeeper with a desperate lunge to stop Josip Brekalo from scoring what would have been a superb individual goal after the Croatian international weaved his way into the box.

Inter was also saved by the officials when Andrea Ranocchia was somehow ruled to have not fouled Andrea Belotti in the area nine minutes before the break, a decision which left Torino baffled.

"I went to (referee Marco) Guida and told him that it was a definite penalty, and he said to me 'VAR didn't call me so I must have made the right decision'," said Torino sporting director Davide Vagnati.

"You can talk about our brilliant performance and Inter's determination but if there's a penalty then they have to give it to us."

Picture perfect

Victor Osimhen struck the first of his brace for Napoli, which kept it three points behind Milan, in the 14th minute at Verona by thumping home a perfect header from Matteo Politano's cross.

In an eventful match for both Osimhen and the rest of his team, at one point it looked as if Napoli would have to do without its star forward for the last half an hour when the 23-year-old was out of action for four minutes with a shoulder problem following a clash with Koray Gunter.

He carried on, however, and lashed in his ninth league goal of the season in the 71st minute before snatching a camera and taking a snap of the Napoli fans.

" (Kalidou) Koulibaly gave me the camera to take a picture of the fans who have been amazing from the blast of the whistle to the very end. I think they deserved to get a shot," he told DAZN.

Napoli is aiming for its first Serie A title since Diego Maradona lifted the southern club to its only two top-flight league trophies in 1987 and 1990.

Verona had its hopes of playing European soccer next season dented despite Davide Faraoni pulling a goal back shortly after Osimhen's second.

It is seven points behind both Roma and Atalanta who occupy sixth and fifth after respective draws with Udinese and Genoa.

Atalanta looks to have forfeited its fight for the Champions League after a 0-0 draw with struggling Genoa, which has now drawn all seven matches under coach Alexander Blessin.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta is eight points behind fourth-placed Juventus, albeit with a game in hand.

AFP