AC Milan's title challenge stuttered once more tonight as they were held to a draw at home to struggling Lazio.
With leaders Inter Milan losing at Roma yesterday, the opportunity was there for Milan to move within a point of the Serie A summit.
But not for the first time this season they blew it.
They went ahead when Marco Borriello netted from the spot in the 18th minute but some lax defending allowed Stephan Lichtsteiner to equalise just after the half-hour mark.
Milan huffed and puffed in the second half but Lazio deserved the point which moved them five points clear of the relegation zone.
The game took a while to get going but it burst into life in the 17th minute when Milan took the lead.
France international Mathieu Flamini made a burst into the box down the right but saw his run ended by a poorly-timed tackle by Aleksandar Kolarov.
Referee Paolo Tagliavento pointed to the spot and Borriello - on penalty duty due to Ronaldinho's suspension - made no mistake despite Lazio keeper Fernando Muslera getting a hand to the ball.
Lazio equalised 14 minutes later although Milan boss Leonardo will be asking questions of his backline.
Cristian Ledesma's aimless ball into the box should have been dealt with but Luca Antonini made a hash of his clearance with the ball falling nicely for Lichtsteiner and he made no mistake with a clinical volley past Dida.
MILAN VS LAZIO VIDEO HIGHLIGHT
Dida was looking shaky and he almost gifted the Biancoceleste a second before half-time.
Ledesma's corner invited him off his line to punch but the Brazilian could only flap at the delivery, dropping it down at the feet of Andre Dias.
Dias should have shot first time but he delayed and Milan defender Thiago Silva got in a well-timed challenge to make the block.
Antonini almost atoned for his earlier blunder by restoring Milan's advantage nine minutes into the second half.
After latching on to a poor clearance from Muslera, he ran through a couple of weak Lazio challenges before lashing in a powerful drive from the edge of the area which beat the Lazio keeper but rattled back off the bar.
Milan threatened again after 67 minutes through Borriello.
The Italy international received the ball from strike-partner Filippo Inzaghi and turned cleverly but his shot was blasted over the bar.
Lazio played primarily on the counter-attack in the second half but it was a policy which almost reaped its reward with 20 minutes to go.
A free-kick from the left from Stefano Mauri was perfect for Dias to attack with his head. Instead he tried an acrobatic volley and put his effort wide of the upright with Dida struggling to make up the ground.
Milan created one last chance with eight minutes to go.
A mix-up in the Lazio defence meant Thiago's long ball was not cleared properly by either Kolarov or Muslera but Ignazio Abate was unable to capitalise, shooting high and wide when well placed.
Milan stay third, two points behind Roma and three adrift of Inter.
| 1 Dida | 86 Fernando Muslera | |
| 19 Giuseppe Favalli | 28 Guglielmo Stendardo | |
| 33 Thiaguinho | 26 Stefan Radu | |
| 23 Massimo Ambrosini | 80 André Dias | |
| 77 Luca Antonini | 24 Cristian Ledesma | |
| 15 Gianluca Zambrotta | 32 Christian Brocchi | |
| 10 Clarence Seedorf | 5 Stefano Mauri | |
| 16 Mathieu Flamini | 11 Aleksandar Kolarov | |
| 20 Ignazio Abate | 2 Stephan Lichtsteiner | |
| 22 Marco Borriello | 10 Mauro Zárate | |
| 9 Filippo Inzaghi | 9 Tommaso Rocch | |
