UPDATE 3-Soccer-Inter lose at Napoli to reignite title race

Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:16pm BST
 
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* Inter's lead cut to seven points after defeat at Napoli

* Kaka scores two penalties to help Milan beat Palermo

* Juve come back twice to draw at Reggina (adds details)

MILAN, April 26 (Reuters) - Inter Milan's title charge suffered a rare blip on Sunday when substitute Marcelo Zalayeta struck in the second half to give Napoli a 1-0 home win over the Serie A leaders.

Second-placed AC Milan beat Palermo 3-0 to cut the gap with Inter to seven points with five games to play.

Juventus in third trail champions Inter by nine after drawing 2-2 at improving bottom side Reggina.

Inter's defeat was only their third in the league this season while it was Napoli's first Serie A win since January and their first since former Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni succeeded Edy Reja as coach in March.

Inter, bidding for a fourth successive scudetto and first under Jose Mourinho, had the best chance of the first half when Walter Samuel's header was expertly saved by Nicolas Navarro.

Backed by the noisy San Paolo crowd, Napoli grew in confidence but wasted the final ball until Ezequiel Lavezzi fed Zalayeta and the Uruguayan forward fired home on 73 minutes.  Continued...

 

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