Inter's top 4 hopes suffer further blow with draw at Salernitana

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

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Inter Milan's top four hopes took a major blow when Salernitana held them to a 1-1 draw on Friday after Antonio Candreva scored a 90th-minute equaliser against his former club while team mate Guillermo Ochoa made a string of exceptional saves.

Inter moved level with AC Milan on 51 points but remain fourth with their arch rivals playing Empoli later on Friday while fifth-placed AS Roma are a point behind.

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Salernitana are 15th with 29 points.

Simone Inzaghi's Inter have now gone six games without a win in all competitions and the Italian manager said it was difficult for him to speak after the draw.

"We pay a lot for not closing games... It's not easy to settle for a draw after everything we created. There is great disappointment, so many fans came here to cheer us on," he said.

"This is not an easy moment in the league, we know how football works."

Inter went ahead in the sixth minute when a flowing passing move ended with Romelu Lukaku heading the ball into the path of wing back Robin Gosens, who fired home his first goal since November.

Inter could have scored many more but Salernitana's 37-year-old Mexican goalkeeper Ochoa made a number of reflex saves to deny Stefan de Vrij, Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku twice to keep the home side in the game.

At the other end, Senegal forward Boulaye Dia nearly converted Candreva's cross for an equaliser but his effort cannoned off the bar.

Candreva, 36, who made over 150 appearances for Inter, had the last laugh, however, levelling for Salernitana at the death when his intended cross sailed into the top corner over the arms of goalkeeper Andre Onana.

"This result is a huge disappointment. We can say many things, but if you don't close out the match, anything can always happen," De Vrij said.

"We are in a period when everything goes wrong, when even a cross from a distance turns into a goal like that."

Inter next play away at Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.