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Chievo force Inter to wait a bit longer

EUROPEAN ROUND-UP: ITALIAN SERIE A nter Milan will have to wait at least another week to seal the Serie A title after drawing…

Mon May 11 2009 - 01:00

EUROPEAN ROUND-UP: ITALIAN SERIE Anter Milan will have to wait at least another week to seal the Serie A title after drawing 2-2 at gutsy Chievo yesterday.

Hernan Crespo, making a rare start with Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, gave Inter the lead after three minutes when he scored on the rebound but Michele Marcolini hit back with a superb 25-metre strike midway through the first half.

Mario Balotelli put the champions back in front in the second period only for Luciano, a former Inter player, to volley in at the back post.

Second-placed AC Milan failed to cut Inter's lead to five points with three to play when they could only draw 1-1 with stuttering Juventus at home last night.

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Jose Mourinho's Inter, who had a couple of other good chances in Verona, would have secured their fourth straight scudetto if they had won and Milan lost.

Fiorentina strengthened their grip on the fourth Champions League spot with a 2-0 win at Catania with Stevan Jovetic and Luciano Zauri scoring either side of the break. Fifth-placed Genoa slipped three points behind after drawing 1-1 at Atalanta while AS Roma's Champions League hopes ended after a fiery 2-2 draw at Cagliari.

Roma, whose coach Luciano Spalletti has been criticised by supporters, dropped 10 points behind Fiorentina in sixth but have a two-point advantage over Palermo in the race for what is likely to be the final Europa League berth via Serie A.

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA:Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida struck twice from close range to give hosts Werder Bremen a deserved 2-0 win over Hamburg SV yesterday and all but end their rivals' title hopes. Hamburg are in sixth place on 55 points, five off the top with three matches left.

VfL Wolfsburg lead on 60 points, ahead of Bayern Munich on goal difference. Hertha Berlin are one point off the pace with fourth-placed VfB Stuttgart on 58.

FRENCH CUP:Ligue 2 side Guingamp stunned Brittany neighbours Stade Rennes to lift the French Cup with a 2-1 victory in Saturday's final at the Stade de France. Eduardo struck both goals for Guingamp, netting the winner eight minutes from time after he had cancelled out Carlos Bocanegra's second-half opener for the Ligue 1 side.