MILAN // Inter Milan returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win away to Fiorentina on Wednesday.
Giampaolo Pazzini scored a second-half winner against his former club after Fiorentina defender Manuel Pasqual cancelled out Michele Camporese's own goal.
The result means Inter have now played the same number of games as league leader AC Milan, and trails by five points.
"It was important to get the three points to get us back on course after losing to Juventus," Inter assistant coach Giuseppe Baresi said. "We have just met one of the most in-form teams in the league and played well."
Also Wednesday, Genoa beat cross-town rival Sampdoria 1-0. Rafinha hit a spectacular winner early in the second half.
Inter took an early lead when Camporese diverted Samuel Eto'o's cross into his own goal, but Fiorentina threatened to equalise when Adrian Mutu fired in a free kick that Julio Cesar pushed away a few minutes later.
The host drew level in the 33rd when Pasqual crossed from the left and the ball evaded Inter's defence and crept in at the far post.
Julio Cesar then kept out Riccardo Montolivio's effort and Alberto Gilardino shot narrowly over the Inter bar in first-half injury time. Moments later, Maicon shot wide after Pazzini set him up with a perfectly weighted backheel.
Shortly after the break, Artur Boruc denied Dejan Stankovic and Andrea Ranocchia needed to react quickly to block Gilardino's shot.
Good work on the right by Eto'o paved the way for Inter's second. The Cameroon striker raced past Camporese and hit a low cross which Pazzini swept in at the near post.
The Genoa derby began at a frantic pace and Genoa's Rodrigo Palacio hit the bar seven minutes in, while goalkeeper Eduardo twice stopped Sampdoria's Stefano Guberti.
Genoa winger Marco Rossi hit the bar in the 36th, before a spectacular long-range strike by Rafinha provided the break through.
