INTER HELD AT HOME BY ROMA
Inter Milan came from behind to clinch a hard-earned point in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Roma on Sunday night.
Substitute Hernan Crespo scored a 79th-minute equaliser to save the Nerazzurri from what would have been a costly defeat after Juventus won on Saturday.
Daniele De Rossi headed Roma ahead in the 23rd minute and John-Arne Riise doubled their lead six minutes later.
The first of Mario Balotelli's double gave Inter hope five minutes into the second half, but Matteo Brighi put Roma 3-1 up before a controversial penalty, earned and converted by Balotelli, in the 63rd minute laid the foundations for Crespo to grab a point for Jose Mourinho's side.
The draw moves Inter seven points clear of Juventus at the top of Serie A.
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti had to make a late change to replace Francesco Totti after he suffered an injury the warm-up.
Given the slippery conditions, due to the relentless rain, the Giallorossi captain returned to the dressing room just minutes after taking to the field to test his knee, which has been bothering him over the last few days.
Spalletti therefore had bring in Julio Baptista to take Totti's place.
Mourinho surprisingly left Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of his starting XI, naming Balotelli alongside Adriano in his attack.
Baptista almost made his presence felt immediately when his free-kick from 20 yards was tipped over the crossbar by Julio Cesar in the second minute.
Roma showed no fear in attacking the Serie A leaders and Brighi almost opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Mirko Vucinic's cross was headed out badly by Ivan Cordoba, but the Roma midfielder's volley lacked direction.
Roma deservedly went ahead in the 23rd minute when De Rossi rose above Javier Zanetti to meet Marco Motta's right-wing cross with a powerful header which flew in off the far post.
The visitors doubled their lead six minutes later with Riise scoring his first Serie A goal for Roma.
The full-back overlapped down the left wing and showed more determination than Maicon in reaching the ball to poke it past Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar from a tight angle.
Roma could even have gone in at the break with a three-goal lead when Vucinic danced his way into the penalty area, but he failed to beat the final hurdle of Burdisso, who risked giving away a penalty with his sliding tackle.
Balotelli started Inter's comeback five minutes into the second half with a fine first-time shot past Doni after being found by Adriano.
However, Brighi restored Roma's two-goal advantage in the 57th minute when he was rewarded for covering half the length of the pitch to pick up a loose ball and drill it low past Julio Cesar.
Inter were gifted a route back into the game when Balotelli fell in the penalty area as he tried to take the ball past De Rossi.
The youngster stepped up himself to coolly convert the spot kick.
Rodrigo Taddei and Vucinic got in each other's way as they looked to restore Roma's two-goal cushion again before the visitors decided to shut up shop and concentrate on defending for the final 20 minutes.
They held out for only 10 minutes before Crespo beat Doni with a trademark header with his first touch after coming on as a substitute to bring Inter level.
Roma reacted again and both Riise and De Rossi missed good chances to earn them a win they would probably have deserved.
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Inter are probably still tired from United.
(Obviously I'm kidding.)
