Inter missed the chance to significantly strengthen its grip on a Champions League place as a stoppage-time equaliser saw it held to a 1-1 draw at Serie A's bottom club Chievo.
Luciano Spalletti's men were presented with an opportunity to increase the gap between themselves and fifth-placed AC Milan, which was beaten 1-0 at home by Fiorentina earlier on Saturday.
The visitor was never at its best, but looked set to claim all three points thanks to Ivan Perisic's close-range 39th-minute strike, which marked his first league goal since September.
However, a Chievo side that offered scant resistance provided a late sting in the tail thanks to Sergio Pellissier as the captain dinked over Samir Handanovic, meaning third-placed Inter is just six points clear of Milan in the fifth.
Chievo forced Handanovic into action in the first minute, the Inter goalkeeper dealing with an awkward bounce after Riccardo Meggiorini let fly with a long-range volley.
Inter slowly took control of the game and only a fine reaction save from Stefano Sorrentino prevented him from turning home Danilo D'Ambrosio's left-wing cross.
Mauro Icardi and D'Ambrosio were involved as Inter broke the deadlock, though, combining down the left to set up Perisic to lash Inter into a lead that should have been doubled when Joao Mario shot wide from the Croatia international's low delivery.
Excellent build-up between Perisic and Icardi ended with the latter thwarted again by Sorrentino at the near post before a rare threatening Chievo attack saw Handanovic brilliantly turn Pellissier's effort behind.
It was Perisic who appeared the most likely to add to Inter's tally in a game that always looked in hand, but his inability to do so proved costly as Mariusz Stepinski headed on for Pellissier to earn Chievo's fifth point of a miserable season.
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