Serie A leaders Inter dropped two home points yesterday but still increased their lead over Juventus at the top of the table ahead of the pair's meeting in Turin next weekend.
Palermo looked to have breathed new life into the title race with a gritty comeback in a 2-2 draw at the San Siro but 10-man Juventus controversially lost 3-2 at Genoa later in the evening to leave Inter 10 points clear with just seven games left.
The day began with Italian football mourning the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake as a minute's silence was observed at all top flight matches while players wore black armbands for the disaster which has claimed 291 lives.
In Genoa, Juve started the match knowing a victory would cut Inter's lead to seven points but with the hosts chasing fourth place and Champions League football next season it was always going to be a tall order.
The game exploded into life on 29 minutes as Genoa took the lead through a Thiago Motta goal from the edge of the area.
Referee Gianluca Rocchi actually blew his whistle for a foul on Giandomenico Mesto just before Motta's strike beat Gianluigi Buffon in Juve's goal.
However, Rocchi then decided to let the goal stand, infuriating the Juve players who had heard the whistle.
On the stroke of half-time Rocchi then evened up the controversial decisions by awarding Juve a penalty for a foul by Matteo Ferrari on Alessandro Del Piero when the Genoa centre-back seemed clearly to win the ball - a theory television replays supported.
Del Piero stroked home the spot-kick but deep into first-half injury time Motta scored his second of the game with a bullet header from a corner.
Juve's chances of salvaging something from the match, and indeed the title race, then took a blow on 65 minutes as Mauro Camoranesi was sent off for a terrible foul on Giuseppe Sculli, a decision from Rocchi that for once went unopposed.
Six minutes from time Vincenzo Iaquinta's clever chipped finish seemed to have stolen a point for Juve. But with just two minutes left, Marco Rossi beat the Juve offside trap and squared for former Juve player Raffaele Palladino to tap home into an open net.
In Milan, Inter had been cruising with a 2-0 lead at half-time through goals from Mario Balotelli and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty. However, two goals in three minutes from Edison Cavani and Davide Succi cost the Italian champions victory and irked boss Jose Mourinho.
"The first half was amongst our best this season but we played the second period without concentration and little intensity," he moaned.
"But I don't think that those chasing us can win their last seven matches. Next Saturday, however, will be a completely different story, I'm sure that my team will turn up from the point of view of their mentality and we can practically end the uncertainty in Turin."
Lazio claimed the honours 4-2 in a thrilling, action-packed Rome derby as Roma lost further ground in the chase for fourth place.
The nominal hosts - the clubs share Rome's Stadio Olimpico - were off to a flyer as Macedonia striker Goran Pandev and Argentina forward Mauro Zarate hit stunning goals inside the first four minutes.
France defender Philippe Mexes reduced the arrears on 10 minutes but Switzerland defender Stephan Lichtsteiner made it 3-1 13 minutes into the second half.
Roma were reduced to 10 men when Christian Panucci was sent off for a second booking, after which the game descended into farce when Mexes and Lazio's Francesco Matuzalem both received their marching orders, as well as Roma coach Luciano Spalletti and a member of Lazio's backroom staff.
Daniele De Rossi's header set up a tense finale 10 minutes from time but Aleksandar Kolarov settled the match five minutes later.