ROME - Inter Milan kept up its title challenge with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Fiorentina on Wednesday.

An own goal from Michele Camporese gave the champion the lead before Manuel Pasquale's cross trickled over the line to restore parity.

But Giampaolo Pazzini struck the winner from close range to keep Leonardo's team in the scudetto hunt.

The victory moved it up to third in Serie A, five points behind leader and city rival AC Milan, and it was the perfect response after criticism directed at the team in the Italian press after Sunday's 1-0 loss at Juventus. This was Inter's eighth win in 10 league games under the Brazilian coach, who joined in late December.

Leonardo shouted himself hoarse during the game and consequently sent his assistant, Giuseppe Baresi, to speak to the media afterwards.

"After the defeat in Turin this game was more important than ever," said Baresi. "It's never easy to win in Florence but we showed we're in good form.

"It's an important win, it was vital to get the three points tonight. The team really wanted it after the Juve defeat."

Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, a former Inter assistant, said the visitors were simply too clinical.

"Fortunately we don't play against Inter every Sunday. If we'd played someone else we'd have won," he said.

"But we didn't deserve to lose, we created a lot of chances whereas they had two chances and scored two goals.

"But when you play the big teams you only need to make one mistake and you pay dearly."

Fiorentina suffered a nightmare start as a Samuel Eto'o shot cannoned off Camporese and into his own net after just six minutes.

The host was quick to respond, though, with Adrian Mutu forcing Julio Cesar into a diving save from a free-kick a few minutes later.

Inter's Dejan Stankovic tried his luck from distance but didn't trouble Artur Boruc.

Fiorentina's equalizer on 33 minutes had a touch of fortune about it as well as Pasqual's cross from deep on the left touchline was missed by Alberto Gilardino, but his presence did enough to deceive Cesar and the ball beat the Brazilian before going in off the far post.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/18/2011 page24)