SOCCER: Milan held by Roma to leave Inter five clear at Serie A summit

ROME — AC Milan’s title hopes took a hit after they were held to a 1-1 draw by AS Roma in a rain-soaked clash in the Italian capital on Sunday. The result left Inter Milan five points clear at the top of the Serie A standings.

Milan, who sit in second place, moved to 47 points, while Roma climbed to third with 43 points, level with Napoli. Napoli suffered a 3-0 defeat earlier on Sunday.

Inter increased the pressure in the title race with a 6-2 comeback win over Pisa on Friday.

Roma created several chances in the first half, but Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan delivered a strong performance. He made a crucial reflex save on the line just before halftime, earning him the Man of the Match award.

Milan broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Koni De Winter rose to head in a cross, sparking celebrations on the visitors’ bench.

However, Roma responded 12 minutes later when Davide Bartesaghi was penalized for handball. Lorenzo Pellegrini calmly converted the penalty to level the score.

The final minutes saw Roma dominate possession, while Milan waited for a chance to counterattack. A late scare for Milan came when the ball struck Christian Pulisic’s arm, but the referee ruled there was no penalty as his arm was tucked against his body.

Both teams remained unable to find a winner, and the match ended in a draw. -Reporting by Tommy Lund in GdanskEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters