The Japan Times - Inter's Serie A lead cut to six with Fiorentina draw, Como march on

Cher Ndour's 77th-minute tap-in earned Fiorentina a precious point in their bid to avoid relegation and slowed Inter's charge to a 21st league title.

Fiorentina are two points above the drop zone after an excellent performance in Florence, which was all the more impressive for their reaction after Pio Esposito headed Inter in front inside the first minute.

Esposito's ninth goal of his debut Inter season, which came from a pin-point Nicolo Barella cross, was good news for the Italian national team who face Northern Ireland on Thursday in the semi-finals of World Cup play-offs.

The burly 20-year-old, who was denied by David de Gea in stoppage time, is likely to feature for the Azzurri who are desperately trying to not miss a third straight World Cup, although Moise Kean was in bustling form for Fiorentina after returning from injury.

Kean is rusty in front of goal though and failed to get his toe to Marco Brescianini's teasing low cross in the 29th minute and had a close-range finish ruled out for offside.

Inter were the beneficiaries of Fiorentina's wastefulness but Cristian Chivu's team have picked up two points from their last three matches and have allowed closest challengers AC Milan back into the Scudetto mix.

Earlier, Assane Diao sent Como on their way to a thumping victory in the seventh minute with a fine low drive, and further strikes from Tasos Douvikas, Martin Baturina, Nico Paz and Maximo Perrone ensured a fifth straight win in Italy's top flight.

Ambitious Como have never played European football but the team coached by Cesc Fabregas sit fourth and three points ahead of both Juventus, in fifth, and sixth-placed Roma who beat Lecce 1-0.

Robinio Vaz's first Roma goal was enough to keep the capital club in the top-four hunt and drop Lecce into the relegation zone in place of Jamie Vardy's Cremonese.

Before kick-off in Como a minute's silence, during which fans broke out into applause, was held for deceased billionaire co-owner Michael Hartono, who died at the age of 86 on Thursday.

Indonesian Hartono and his brother Robert, owners of tobacco giant Djarum which was founded by their father in the 1950s, bought Como in 2019 when the club was in Italy's third division.

Como had far too much for Pisa who look set to go straight back down to Serie B after promotion last season.

Pisa sit bottom of the division, nine points behind Cremonese who are just outside the relegation zone.

Y.Ishikawa--JT