Inter coach Simone Inzaghi backed his side to respond from defeat at Bologna but conceded the Scudetto race was out of the Nerazzurri’s hands.
Milan returned to the Serie A summit with a victory at Lazio on Sunday, and Inter initially made a positive response when Ivan Perisic struck after just two minutes and 53 seconds at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Wednesday.
That was the Nerazzurri’s fastest league strike of the season, but Marko Arnautovic equalised against his former club with his 13th league goal this term, his best tally in a single campaign in Europe’s top five leagues.
Substitute Nicola Sansone then punished a costly Ionut Radu error with nine minutes remaining as Inter dropped ground in the Scudetto race. The 2-1 defeat left them two points behind Milan with four games left.
Milan has a superior head-to-head record against their neighbours, and Inzaghi acknowledged that the title destination is no longer in his team’s control.
Inzaghi told reporters after the game:
“Now, it is difficult, but I know I have a team of great men who will do everything to end this championship well.
“However, now we are no longer masters of our destiny.
While appreciating the dent to Inter’s title hopes after defeating Bologna, who had previously not beaten Inter at home in 15 Serie A attempts, Inzaghi refuses to give up hope.
He added:
“There are four games left. We have seen that it was a championship of surprises and games played to the end.
“There are still 12 points up for grabs, and anything can happen.”
Inzaghi was quick to defend Radu for his mistake when failing to control Perisic’s pass, which led to Sansone’s winner in the goalkeeper’s first Serie A appearance of the season due to the injury of first-choice Samir Handanovic.
He told DAZN:
“There is a disappointment as it is normal for there to be after a game lost in this way.
“The mood was not the best. Radu made a mistake as I or a striker and a midfielder can.
“When a goalkeeper makes a mistake, everything is highlighted more. Now we have to react to a burning defeat, facing one game at a time, knowing that we are no longer masters of our destiny.”
Inter will look to respond in their Scudetto push when they visit Udinese on Sunday.
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