Inter Milan closed the gap on the all-important third Champions League spot with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Bologna at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Little could seperate the two sides until Ivan Perisic nodded home from a corner and, almost four minutes later, Daniele D'Ambrosio doubled his side's advantage from a similar position.
The visitors rallied and reduced the arrears a minute from time when substitute Franco Brienza's effort deflected beyond Samir Handanovic.
Ebb and flow
Inter fashioned the first attempt of the evening within four minutes when Eder spun Sapher Tadir inside the danger area and flashed a dangerous effort across the face of goal. Mauro Icardi stretched in an attempt to make contact but seemed to injure himself in the process before limping off four minutes later to be replaced by Geoffrey Kondogbia.
The theme of stricken forward seemed to continue as Mattia Destro ambled off clutching his ankle in the 14th minute.
Godred Donsah ought to have done better when he broke into space after a swift counter-attack but shanked a woeful effort into the side netting soon after.
Daniele Gastaldello was prompted into a heroic clearance on the half-hour mark when Ivan Perisic delivered a tantalising ball across the six-yard box.
Antonio Mirante was at full stretch to repel Adem Ljajic’s driven effort four minutes later.
Miranda is scarcely renowned for his goalscoring prowess but the Brazilian almost broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when he flicked Marcelo Brozovic’s driven cross inches wide of the post.
Bologna began the second period bristling with intent but Daniele D’Ambrosio’s acrobatic effort on 58 minutes reinforced the home side’s attacking threat.
Perisic curled a left-footed effort wide of Mirante’s far post in the 63rd minute as the Nerazzurri faithful began to grow restless.
Mancini sent for Rodrigo Palacio with twenty minutes to play as the hosts went in search of a winner.
Frenetic conclusion
Though not directly involved, his introduction coincided with a breakthrough from the ever-present Perisic.
Climbing well, D’Ambrosio directed Eder’s corner back across goal and the Croatian, unmarked inside the six-yard box, nodded into an unguarded net.
Never alter a winning formula, goes the old adage, and Inter certainly profited when, after aiding his side’s opener four minutes earlier, D'Ambrosio plundered in a second.
Miranda, this time, rose highest from a corner and the full-back reacted swiftly to side-foot beyond Mirante.
Luca Rizzo could scarcely believe his luck when not one, but two, of his efforts were foiled on the goalline.
Complacency seeped into the home side’s play during the dying embers as Kondogbia’s insipid back pass to D’Ambrosio was intercepted and, two passes later, Franco Brienza halved the deficit for Roberto Donadoni’s side.