Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini said Monday that he still fears AS Roma's title challenge after his side extended their Serie A lead to nine points at the weekend.
Second-placed Roma were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Messina (17th) Sunday afternoon and lost ground on Inter, who beat Torino (11th) 1-3 Saturday night.
The victory in Turin was Inter's 12th consecutive league win - a new Serie A record.
But Mancini is not letting the success go to his head.
"I still fear Roma," he said. "There is the whole second half of the season to play and the Giallorossi will be rivals to the end".
Mancini heaped praise on Roma, saying they were "faster and more creative" than his team.
But he added that: "we are more practical".
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti insisted Monday that "nothing is over yet".
He seemed to recognize though, that Inter will take some catching.
"We won't consider not winning the scudetto a failure," Spalletti said.
He said his players should have sewn up the Messina match long before a last-gasp penalty - conceded by a reckless Cristian Chivu tackle and converted by Alessandro Parisi - cancelled out Alessandro Mancini's first-half goal.
Roma and Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi stressed that things are now out of his side's hands.
"If Inter don't stop winning, there's not much we can do," he said.
"We'll keep on believing until the end, but this is how things are".
On Monday Roberto Mancini also spoke about negotiations to renew his contract with Inter, which expires at the end of the season.
He gave mixed signals, stating that there are no problems with Chairman Massimo Moratti, but at the same time stressing that a renewal of the deal is "not a formality".
According to reports in the Italian media, English Champions Chelsea may be eyeing up Mancini as a possible replacement for Jose Mourinho.
Milan continued their revival with a 3-1 victory over Reggina (18th) Sunday afternoon, thanks to goals by Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Alberto Gilardino
It was Milan's third successive win and takes them up to ninth place with 23 points - just three away from fourth spot and qualification for next season's Champions League.
Third-placed Palermo kept up their superb home form with a 2-0 win over Udinese (10th).
Palermo have won eight of their 10 games at the Stadio Barbera, where they have scored 28 goals so far.
The other member of the trio of Sicilian Serie A sides, fifth-placed Catania, lost 2-1 to Chievo (16th) in Verona.
Atalanta (7th) thrashed Livorno (12th) 5-1 in Bergamo. The humiliating defeat cost coach Daniele Arrigoni his job.
Cagliari (15th) beat bottom club Ascoli 1-0.
Sampdoria (8th) - Fiorentina (14th) ended goalless, while Lazio moved up to fourth despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Siena (13th) in the Sunday night game.
Empoli (6th) beat Parma (19th) 2-0 on Saturday evening.
