Inter lose at Cagliari in blow to top-four hopes

(Reuters) - Inter Milan lost 2-1 to Cagliari on Friday to stay third in Italy's Serie A in a blow to their bid for a Champions League spot.

Inter are on 47 points, two points ahead of fourth-placed AC Milan and three clear of fifth-placed AS Roma who both have a game in hand.

Luca Ceppitelli gave Cagliari a 31st-minute lead before Lautaro Martinez levelled for Inter five minutes later.

But the visitors' joy was short-lived as Leonardo Pavoletti netted the winner with a sublime first-time volley from Darijo Srna's cross two minutes before halftime.

Cagliari could have grabbed a third in stoppage-time but Nicolo Barella blazed his penalty over the crossbar.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)