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Inter draws 1-1 at Spezia but extends lead to 10 points

MILAN (AP) - Inter Milan was held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Spezia but still extended its lead at the top of the Serie A table on Wednesday.

Ivan Perišić canceled out Diego Farias' opener for Spezia as Inter moved 10 points above second-place AC Milan after the Rossoneri lost 2-1 at home to Sassuolo.

Juventus came from behind to win 3-1 against Parma to move into third ahead of Atalanta's match at Roma on Thursday.

Spezia remained five points above the relegation zone.

Inter was one of the three Italian clubs involved in the attempt to launch a Super League. Along with Juventus and Milan, the Nerazzurri abandoned the project on Wednesday.

Inter had seen its 11-match winning run come to an end with a draw at Napoli on Sunday but knew it could move 12 points clear after Milan's loss.

But it was Spezia which took a surprise lead in the 12th minute when Farias' snapshot went under Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanović. It was another howler from the veteran, just three days after an own goal against Napoli.

Inter piled on the pressure and it paid off six minutes from halftime when Achraf Hakimi rolled a ball across from the right and Perišić poked it in at the far post.

Inter forward Lautaro Martínez hit the post twice in the second half while the Nerazzurri also had two goals ruled out for offside late on.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RACE

Substitute Giacomo Raspadori scored twice in the final 14 minutes for Sassuolo to damage Milan's chances of holding onto a Champions League spot.

Second-place Milan was firmly in the title race at the start of the year but is now looking nervously over its shoulder.

Atalanta could move a point above Milan if it beats Roma. Fifth-place Napoli also plays Thursday and can close the gap to three points with a win at home to Lazio.

Zlatan Ibrahimović was out injured but Milan scored the opener in the 30th minute when Hakan Çalhanoğlu curled into the top right corner.

Both teams had chances before Sassuolo turned the match on its head.

Raspadori passed to Jeremy Toljan on the right side of the area and his shot was deflected back into the path of his teammate, who turned it in at full stretch.

Raspadori doubled his tally seven minutes later with a low, angled shot which went in off the left post.

Juventus moved just a point behind Milan but was forced to come from behind after Gastón Brugman's sublime free-kick gave relegation-threatened Parma the lead in the 25th.

Alex Sandro put Juventus in front with a goal either side of the interval and Matthijs de Ligt sealed the result in the 68th.

RELEGATION BATTLE

Cagliari inched closer to safety after winning 1-0 at Udinese.

The Sardinian side moved to within three points of 17th-place Benevento, which drew 2-2 at fellow struggler Genoa.

Torino also slipped to just three points above the drop after a 1-1 draw at Bologna.

Bottom club Crotone lost 1-0 at home to Sampdoria.

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Inter Milan's Ivan Persic scores his side's first goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Spezia and Inter Milan at the Alberto Picco stadium in La Spezia, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (Alfonso Cannavacciuolo/LaPresse via AP) The Associated Press
Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori, right, scores his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori, center, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
AC Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
AC Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu scores his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press
Juventus' Alex Sandro, second from left, celebrates with teammates Weston Kennie, left, and Cristiano Ronaldo, second from right, after scoring the equalizing goal during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Parma, in Turin's Allianz stadium, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (Piero Cruciatti/LaPresse via AP) The Associated Press
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt, right, celebrates with teammates including Cristiano Ronaldo, left, after scoring his side's third goal during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Parma, in Turin's Allianz stadium, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (Piero Cruciatti/LaPresse via AP) The Associated Press
Juventus' Alex Sandro, right, celebrates with teammate Weston McKennie after scoring the equalizing goal during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Parma, in Turin's Allianz stadium, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (Piero Cruciatti/LaPresse via AP) The Associated Press
Parma's Gastón Brugman, left, celebrates with teamamtes Giuseppe Pezzella, center, and Yordan Osorio after scoring the opening goal during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Parma, in Turin's Allianz stadium, Italy, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (Piero Cruciatti/LaPresse via AP) The Associated Press
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