Inter stumble towards line
12 May 2008 - 07:32:29
Leaders Internazionale failed to secure the Serie A title and saw their lead over AS Roma cut to just one point after drawing 2-2 with Siena on Sunday.
Patrick Vieira and Mario Balotelli twice put Inter ahead at the San Siro, but Roberto Mancini's side were denied by a battling performance from the visitors for whom Massimo Maccarone and Houssine Kharja scored.
Marco Materazzi also missed an 80th-minute penalty for the stuttering reigning champions.
AS Roma closed the gap courtesy of a 2-1 win over Atalanta with Christian Panucci and Daniele De Rossi on the mark for the Giallorossi.
At the foot of the table, Livorno's relegation was confirmed after they lost 1-0 at home to Torino. Alessandro Rosina's strike settled the match and confirmed Torino's own top-flight status for another season.
Cagliari also secured their survival after Robert Acquafresca and Andrea Cossu scored in a 2-0 defeat of Udinese, while Reggina will also be playing Serie A football next season after their own 2-0 win over Empoli.
Meanwhile, AC Milan's Champions League hopes suffered a potential terminal blow after they lost 3-1 at Napoli.
Fiorentina leapfrogged them back into fourth spot after securing their own 3-1 success over ailing Parma.
The Florence club are now two points clear of Milan in the final qualification spot with just one round of fixtures remaining.
Third-placed Juventus needed a late Alessandro Del Piero equaliser to earn a share of the spoils from a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Catania, who are now two points clear of the drop zone.
Elsewhere, Lazio won 2-0 at Genoa with Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchion on the scoresheet for the Rome club.
Sampdoria required second-half goals from Antonio Cassano and Cristian Maggio to defeat Palermo and move up to sixth place in the table.