Inter coach Simone Inzaghi backed his side to respond from defeat at Bologna but conceded the Scudetto race is out of the Nerazzurri s hands.
Milan returned to the Serie A summit with 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.
A costly Ionut Radu error was then punished by substitute Nicola Sansone with nine minutes remaining as Inter dropped ground in the Scudetto race, the 2-1 defeat leaving them two points behind Milan with four games left.
Milan also have a superior head-to-head record against their neighbours and Inzaghi acknowledged that the title destination is no longer in his team s control.
Now it is difficult but I know I have a team of great men who will do everything to end this championship well. Now we are no longer masters of our destiny, he told reporters after the game.
While appreciating the dent to Inter s title hopes after defeat at Bologna, who had previously not beaten Inter at home in 15 Serie A attempts, Inzaghi is refusing to give up hope.
There are four games left, we have seen that it was a championship of surprises and games played to the end, he added.
There are still 12 points up for grabs and anything can happen.
3 Bologna are unbeaten against Juventus, AC Milan and Inter in a single second half of a season for their first time since 2011/12 campaign, under Stefano Pioli (draw against AC Milan and Juventus, win against Inter). Wall.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
Inzaghi was quick to defend Radu for his mistake when failing to control Perisic s pass that led to Sansone s winner, in what was the goalkeeper s first Serie A appearance of the season due to the injury of first-choice Samir Handanovic.
There is disappointment as it is normal for there to be after a game lost in this way, he told DAZN. The mood was not the best, Radu made a mistake like 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.
