MILAN, March 14 (Reuters) - Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Atalanta on Saturday, as the Serie A leaders continue to drop points and leave the title race ticking over.
Inter have 68 points, eight ahead of second-placed AC Milan who visit Lazio on Sunday. Atalanta remain seventh on 47 points.
Francesco Pio Esposito gave Inter the lead in the 26th minute but they failed to put the game beyond Atalanta in a lacklustre display.
The visitors found the equaliser through Nikola Krstovic eight minutes from time, with Inter manager Cristian Chivu sent off as the home side furiously protested a foul in the build-up.
Both sides were looking to put recent disappointments behind them. Inter's 15-game unbeaten Serei A run was brought to an end by neighbours AC Milan in last weekend's 1-0 derby defeat.
Atalanta, meanwhile, were on a four-game run without a win in all competitions, including Tuesday's 6-1 hammering at home by Bayern Munich in their Champions League last-16 first leg.
Inter had plenty of early possession but their final ball let them down while Atalanta looked dangerous on the counter.
Yann Sommer saved an early shot from Gianluca Scamacca, the Inter keeper unable to hold onto the ball but scrambling to clear with Giorgio Scalvini ready to pounce.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso was at San Siro as he prepares to name his squad for the World Cup playoff with Northern Ireland on March 26 and Esposito will have impressed him when opening the scoring.
Esposito collected a pass from Nicolo Barella and drove a low shot from wide in the area under keeper Marco Carnesecchi, who should probably have done better.
Marcus Thuram curled an effort just wide shortly after the break with Inter looking to kill the game off, and the striker was through one-on-one with the keeper on the hour mark but Carnesecchi got out quickly to block the shot.
Atalanta punished Inter's misses when Sommer saved Kamaldeen Sulemana's shot but fellow substitute Krstovic pounced to net the rebound as Chivu's side risk allowing Milan to get back into the Scudetto battle.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
