Inter Milan 2-2 Cagliari: Late Viola strike earns draw for struggling visitors against Nerazzurri

Inter Milan will look to win their 20th Italian league title in the Milan derby, despite being held to a late 2-2 draw by struggling Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday.

With six games remaining, Inter lead second-placed AC Milan by 14 points after they drew 3-3 at relegation-threatened Sassuolo earlier on Sunday. Inter have 83 points from 32 games.

Inter can win the championship if they defeat Stefano Pioli's team later this month at San Siro.

"We're disappointed by a missed victory, we took the lead twice and wanted to take the match home," Inter coach Simone Inzaghi told a press conference.

"But we know that Monday (April 22) is the first big opportunity, we are close to a goal that we all want to reach."

"We are thinking about an objective which we've had in mind since July 13... We must not let our guard down."

Inter won their last league title in 2020-21.

Inter, who drew for the second time in four league games, were without Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martinez and defender Benjamin Pavard due to suspension, and were replaced by Alexis Sanchez and Alessandro Bastoni.

Marcus Thuram gave Inter the lead in the 12th minute, but Eldor Shomurodov equalised for Cagliari after the break. Hakan Calhanoglu restored the hosts' lead from the spot in the 74th minute, but Cagliari equalised when Nicolas Viola scored.

Inter got off to a strong start, with Sanchez setting up forward Thuram to score the opening goal from close range.

It was his 11th league goal of the season, but his first in two months, having opened the scoring in a 4-0 victory over Salernitana.

Nicolo Barella thought he had doubled Inter's lead with a stunning header before the half-hour mark, but it was called back for offside.

Cagliari equalised in the 64th minute when Zito Luvumbo received a long-range pass into the box and set up Shomurodov, who scored from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.

Inter got back on track when Yerry Mina was penalised for a handball, and Calhanoglu fired a precise low spot kick into the corner past keeper Simone Scuffet.

However, Cagliari equalised seven minutes from time when Viola scored near the penalty spot.

Replays showed that the ball may have deflected into Viola's path after bouncing off Gianluca Lapadula's arm.

"The referees run around the middle of the pitch a lot," Inzaghi said. "We can make mistakes, just like them."

"Seeing it again there could have been a (VAR) review, but it happened and (the goal stood)... Let's move on."

Inter had won their previous five Serie A matches against Cagliari by an aggregate score of 13-2.

SportsLigue