A lively Genoa dominated the first half and went close to scoring on two occasions, but a red card to midfielder Ivan Juric allowed the home side to take control.
Despite their efforts, the Nerazzurri came up against a brick wall of determined Genoa defenders who more than deserved a point for their efforts.
Inter coach Jose Mourinho paid his compliments to Genoa on the eve of the game and he would have been further impressed with his opponents from the bench.
The Rossoblu dominated the first half, showing no fear against the defending champions after a brief period of containment.
Inter had the first chance of the game when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was caught off guard when the ball reached him at the far post and he was unable to direct his header goalward.
But the rest of the half belonged to the visitors.
The first moment of danger in front of Julio Cesar's goal came when Giuseppe Sculli headed across goal to Marco Rossi, who failed with his acrobatic effort, but was adjudged offside anyway.
Diego Milito should have done better with his header from eight yards from Sculli's cross minutes later.
But it was Giandomenico Mesto who missed the best chance of the half.
The Genoa winger was free in front of an open goal after Milito's shot was only parried by Julio Cesar, but he blazed his shot wide.
He proved he is capable of better minutes later when he unleashed a 25-yard pile-driver which cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar with Julio Cesar beaten.
Mourinho was clearly not happy with what he had seen from his side and he made two changes during the break to form a four-man attack with Victor Obinna and Mario Balotelli coming on.
He added Julio Cruz in an all-out assault, and things swung in Inter's favour when Genoa were reduced to 10 men as Juric was shown a second yellow card.
While the visitors had more than matched their rivals with 11 men, playing half an hour with only 10 changed the complexion of the match.
Giuseppe Biava deflected a shot against his own crossbar with Balotelli unable to convert the rebound as Inter stepped up their search for a goal.
All the home side were able to do was send cross after cross into the arms of Genoa goalkeeper Rubinho and, for the first time this season, they failed to score at the San Siro and lost their place at the top of Serie A as a result.
Captain Antonio Di Natale shook off a knee injury he picked up in the UEFA Cup win over Tottenham in midweek to score a brace while Antonio Floro Flores added a first-half goal.
Roma also got their captain on the scoresheet as Francisco Totti netted a late penalty, but the goal was unable to inspire a comeback.
The defeat will no doubt pile further pressure on Giallorossi coach Luciano Spalletti, whose side are now just a point away from the relegation places in 15th position with only two wins to their name this season.
They were hardly short of chances to get more out of this game, and could have gone ahead as early as the eighth minute when Simone Perrotta latched on to a long pass forward from Cicinho but Udinese keeper Samir Handanovic made the save.
But immediately after that early sight of goal Roma fell behind. Max Tonetto brought down Floro Flores in the area, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Di Natale made it 1-0 with 10 minutes played.
The Udinese captain then turned provider 12 minutes later as the home side struck again. Floro Flores got on the end of Di Natale's long ball before taking on Simone Loria and firing a diagonal shot past a hesitant Alexander Doni in the Roma goal.
The frustration told on Roma who, finding no luck in front of goal, went looking for a penalty of their own on the half-hour mark as Mirko Vucinic went down under a challenge from Maurizio Domizzi, but got nothing except for a yellow card for his troubles.
The capital club continued to look for an opening, but by piling men forward they always looked likely to let Udinese in again, and they did just that six minutes into the second half.
A swift counter-attacking move ended with Di Natale in acres of space, and he was able to pick his spot and fire the ball past Doni again from inside the box.
They were nearly caught again after 56 minutes, this time Floro Flores made his way into the Roma area on the break but Doni was equal to the shot.
But Roma's chance did finally come when Matteo Brighi was brought down in the box by Handanovic with 15 minutes to play. Totti stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
The goal looked like it might breathe some life into Roma, and they came very close to adding a second with 10 minutes to play when Handanovic had to react quickly to tip a rasping long-range effort from Totti over the bar.
From the resulting corner Jeremy Menez found himself with a chance to shoot and again Handanovic had to be at his best to push the ball onto the woodwork.
The Frenchman shot wide from another scoring chance as time ticked away, while Daniele De Rossi also missed the target in injury time, but in the end Udinese held on to go level with Internazionale on 17 points and top of the standings on goal difference.
ROME, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Injury-hit Juventus are hoping Italy midfielder Mauro Camoranesi can recover from a leg muscle problem to help them build on their Champions League win over Real Madrid in Saturday's derby against Torino (1830 GMT).
The 2-1 triumph on Tuesday ended a five-match winless run for Juventus, who are seven points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan in 12th place, and gave under-fire coach Claudio Ranieri some breathing room.
However, the heat will be straight back on if Juve suffer a third consecutive league defeat this weekend and fitness problems are complicating his bid to turn things around.
Claudio Marchisio will be out for almost four weeks after hurting his ankle against the Spanish champions. The midfielder joins a long injury list that includes goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, striker David Trezeguet and midfielder Christian Poulsen.
Camoranesi, who has been out since a 2-1 defeat to Palermo at the start of the month, trained with his team mates on Wednesday and might be fit the Torino match, the club said on their website.
The pressure is also on Ranieri's counterpart Gianni De Biasi as Torino have lost their last three games and have not tasted victory since beating Lecce 3-0 on the opening day.
Former Italy boss Roberto Donadoni will be among the candidates to replace De Biasi if the poor form continues, according to media reports.
Torino will be without first-choice goalkeeper Matteo Sereni, who suffered an ankle knock in training on Wednesday, and suspended defender Francesco Pratali.
Champions Inter entertain Genoa in fine fettle after thrashing last-year's runners-up AS Roma 4-0 last weekend and beating Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta on Wednesday to go clear at the top of Champions League Group B.
AC Milan, who are three points behind Inter in sixth, visit Atalanta in Bergamo amid growing excitement at David Beckham's possible loan move from Los Angeles Galaxy.
Struggling Roma, nine points off the pace in 14th, face a tough trip to Udinese, who have 14 points from seven games.
Udinese share second place with Napoli, who visit Lazio, and Catania, who take on Siena on Saturday (1600).
Although missing several players through injury and suspension, Sampdoria put up a good fight until Stefano Lucchini handled Ronaldinho's shot inside the area to earn a second yellow card in the 54th minute.
Ronaldinho scored the resulting penalty, then added a second in the 66th minute before Filippo Inzaghi capped the victory in the final minute.
Milan did not have it all their own way in the first half however.
After Marco Borriello had missed from close range for the hosts, Samp took control of the game.
In the sixth minute, Antonio Cassano raced into the area before forcing a good save from Christian Abbiati.
A minute later Cassano turned provider, but Jonathan Bottinelli's header was just wide.
Marco Padalino then tried to set up Gennaro Delvecchio but Paolo Maldini made a timely intervention as Delvecchio prepared to pull the trigger.
In the 21st minute, Delvecchio struck a superb volley which flew just past the right-hand post.
At the other end, Marek Jankulowski combined with Ronaldinho to break through on goal, but his shot was tame and Luca Castellazzi held on.
A minute later the goalkeeper was in action again to save Ronaldinho's free-kick.
Alexandre Pato should have put Milan ahead in the 35th minute but scuffed a good chance from close range after more good work from Ronaldinho.
Samp were back on the attack in the 39th minute but Abbiatti was able to parry Cassano's drilled shot.
Having been on the back foot for much of the first half, Milan looked a different team after the break.
Just a minute after the restart, Kaka skimmed the left-hand post with a shot from the edge of the area.
The game then turned in the 54th minute as Lucchini handled to give Ronaldinho the chance from the spot.
Cassano tried to respond to the opener but could not beat Abbiati in the 62nd minute, and moments later Milan doubled their advantage as Kaka went on a superb run before finding Ronaldinho who applied the finish from the edge of the area.
Borriello wasted a fine chance to make it three in the 69th minute as Kaka went on another fine run, only for the young striker fire wide.
A third goal looked as though it would only be a matter of time as Ronaldinho's free-kick hit the crossbar on its way over and Emerson too found the woodwork with a header from Kaka's corner.
Ronaldinho could have had a hat-trick five minutes from time but Castelazzi saved his volleyed shot.
The finishing touch came in the final minute as Invaghi rounded the goalkeeper before slotting home from a tight angle.
ROME, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Ronaldinho struck twice and Filippo Inzaghi was also on target as AC Milan beat 10-man Sampdoria 3-0 at the San Siro on Sunday.
The Brazilian stepped up to convert a 55th-minute penalty conceded for handball by Sampdoria defender Stefano Lucchini, who was sent off, and he doubled the lead 11 minutes later after some nice interplay with his compatriot Kaka down the left.
Inzaghi dodged past keeper Luca Castellazzi to slip the ball home in stoppage time and make sure Samp stayed without a league win.
Catania beat Sicilian rivals Palermo, who played the second half with 10 men after Moris Carrozzieri was sent off for a second yellow, 2-0 to earn themselves a share of the Serie A top spot.
They have 14 points from seven games and are level with Udinese, who came from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Lecce, and Napoli, who beat Juventus 2-1 on Saturday.
Milan are one point behind the trio, as are champions Inter Milan, who can go two points clear if they win at struggling AS Roma in Sunday's late game.
Serie A champions Inter Milan are considering hiring former Argentina great Diego Maradona as a consultant, club president Massimo Moratti has said.
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The Argentina legend could be back in the game.
"I think we'll link up with him. He still has great appeal and it seems to me that he is out of the tunnel," Moratti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Since his retirement from soccer, Maradona, 47, has suffered a string of health problems related to obesity and his addiction to drugs and alcohol.
In Italy, El Pibe d'Oro is best remembered for his seven year spell at Napoli, where he led the romantic southerners to the only two Scudetti in their history in 1987 and 1990
It is believed that the ex-Boca Juniors hero will be offered the job as a South American talent scout.
MILAN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Inter Milan produced a masterclass of attacking play when they moved to the top of Serie A with a 3-1 win at Torino on Sunday.
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The Italian champions had been finding their feet in Jose Mourinho's first few games in charge but they outclassed Torino thanks to an own goal by Marco Pisano, Maicon's superb shot and a neat finish from Zlatan Ibrahimovic after a quick break.
Elvis Abbruscato grabbed a goal back for the home side and Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar made a good stop late on but his side were never in danger.
Injury-hit Juventus also made it seven points from three games with new striker Amauri sealing a 1-0 win at Cagliari with his second goal in two league games on 39 minutes.
The Brazil-born forward crashed home Vincenzo Iaquinta's layoff as the striking pair showed they could fill the boots of injured duo David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero.
Juve suffered a new blow, however, when keeper Gianluigi Buffon went off with a thigh knock and his deputy Alex Manninger produced a smart stop near the end to secure victory.
Sardinians Cagliari have lost all three games this term.
"Amauri was a great buy, he works for his team mates. The players that played today did well even if they don't play as much. They are great professionals," Juve coach Claudio Ranieri told Sky, adding that Buffon would undergo tests.
Forward Alberto Gilardino continued his rich vein of form by scoring in Fiorentina's 1-0 victory over promoted Bologna.
The close-season signing from AC Milan headed in from close range to take his tally to five from six matches in all competitions this term.
AC Milan sealed their first win of the Serie A season when they overpowered early pacesetters Lazio 4-1 in an enthralling game at the San Siro.
Milan, only fifth last term, had lost their opening two league games to pile the pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti.
He took a gamble for Lazio's visit by leaving Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko on the bench but the decision soon looked to have paid off when Clarence Seedorf scored on eight minutes.
The Dutchman rifled high into the net after his attempted pass rebounded back into his path off Lazio's Cristian Ledesma.
The visitors always looked dangerous on the break, however, and striker Mauro Zarate levelled the scores with a snapshot inside the near post for his fourth league goal this term.
The hosts stepped up the pace and were back in front when right back Gianluca Zambrotta unleashed a stunning 30-metre drive into the corner 10 minutes before the break.
Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato added a third with a diving header early in the second period before compatriot Kaka fired in beautifully from a distance.
AS Roma, runners-up last season, recorded their first win of the campaign on Saturday when they beat Reggina 3-0 at home.
ROME, Sept 20 (Reuters) - AS Roma chalked up their first win of the season on Saturday when they beat Reggina 3-0 at home in Serie A.
Last season's runners-up had managed just a point from their opening two leagues games and lost 2-1 in Rome to unheralded Romanians CFR Cluj in the Champions League in midweek.
Their lack of confidence was evident in the first period when they were restricted to shots from distance before Christian Panucci netted from close range on halftime.
The defender tapped in Rodrigo Taddei's ball across the box amid Reggina protests that he had been offside earlier in the scrappy passage of play.
The home side doubled their lead early in the second half when midfielder Alberto Aquilani smashed a left-foot shot into the top corner as they began to show some of the attacking flair that marked last season's campaign.
Substitute Simone Perrotta put gloss on the victory when he made it 3-0 in injury time.
Earlier Atalanta suffered their first defeat of the Serie A season when they went down 1-0 at Catania despite dominating for long spells.
Catania are now level with Atalanta on six points from three games after striker Michele Paolucci scored at the near post from a tight angle in the second half.
Fellow early pacesetters Lazio visit pointless AC Milan in Sunday's late game (1830 GMT) with champions Inter Milan at Torino and injury-hit Juventus travelling to Cagliari earlier in the day (1300).
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