Inter's Serie A lead is down to 6 points after 1-1 draw at Fiorentina

ROME (AP) — Inter Milan is limping into the international break on a four-match winless streak across all competitions that has seen its Serie A lead reduced to six points.

Cher Ndour knocked in a rebound late in the second half for relegation-threatened Fiorentina in a 1-1 draw with visiting Inter on Sunday.

Pio Esposito had put Inter ahead with a header less than a minute in.

Inter was left six points ahead of second-place AC Milan, which beat Inter in a derby two weeks ago and defeated Torino on Saturday; and seven points ahead of defending champion Napoli, which won at Cagliari on Friday for its fourth straight victory.

Eight rounds remain in the Italian league.

Fiorentina moved two points above the drop zone.

Como took control of the final Champions League spot by thrashing relegation-threatened Pisa 5-0 for its fifth straight victory.

The victory boosted Cesc Fabregas’ club three points clear of fifth-place Juventus, which was held to a 1-1 draw by Sassuolo on Saturday.

Assane Diao, Anastasios Douvikas, Martin Baturina, Nico Paz and Maximo Perrone scored for the hosts.

Douvikas' 11th goal of the season made him the first Como player with that many in the top flight since Giuseppe Baldini scored 13 and Renato Cattaneo 11 in 1951-52.

Como’s win came three days after one of Como’s owners, Indonesian tobacco billionaire Michael Bambang Hartono, died at 86.

Hartono and his brother, Roberto Budi Hartono, took over Como in 2019 when the team was playing in Italy’s fourth division.

Como returned to Serie A in 2024 for the first time in more than two decades.

Sixth-place Roma beat visiting Lecce 1-0 to move level on points with Juventus and snap a five-match winless streak that included an elimination defeat to Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday.

Robinio Vaz came off the bench to head in his first Serie A goal for Roma early in the second half after transferring from Marseille in January.

Lazio’s January signing Kenneth Taylor scored two second-half goals in a 2-0 win at Bologna that enabled the Roman club to leapfrog the hosts into eighth place.

A Netherlands international, the 23-year-old Taylor was purchased by Maurizio Sarri’s club from Ajax for 17 million euros ($20 million).

Lazio goalkeeper Edoardo Motta — playing in just his third Serie A match — saved a penalty from Riccardo Orsolini in the 51st with the score 0-0.

It was Lazio’s third straight win.

Also, seventh-place Atalanta bounced back from a Champions League loss to Bayern Munich with a 1-0 victory over Hellas Verona as Davide Zappacosta scored before the break.

Midfielder Marten de Roon was celebrated before kickoff as he made a club-record 436th appearance for Atalanta across all competitions.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Roma players celebrate after a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Lecce in Rome, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Inter's Pio Esposito celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan in Florence, Italy, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marco Bucco/LaPresse via AP)

Inter's Denzel Dumfries, left, and Fiorentina's Moise Kean, right, challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Inter Milan in Florence, Italy, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marco Bucco/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Berat Djimsiti, right, and Verona's Unai Nunez, left, challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta Bergamo and Hellas Verona in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Lazio's Kenneth Taylor, second right, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between FC Bologna and Lazio Rome in Bologna, Italy, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Pisa's Filip Stojikovic and Como's Diego Carlos, right, fight for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Pisa in Como, Italy, Sunday March 22, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Pisa's Malthe Hojholt jumps over Como goalkeeper Jean Butez during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Pisa in Como, Italy, Sunday March 22, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Como's Martin Baturina celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Pisa in Como, Italy, Sunday March 22, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Como's Assane Diao celebrates after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Pisa in Como, Italy, Sunday March 22, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

Como's Assane Diao, right, scores their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Como and Pisa in Como, Italy, Sunday March 22, 2026. (Antonio Saia/LaPresse via AP)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)