Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini believes his team were robbed in Sunday's demoralising 1-0 derby defeat to local rivals AC Milan.
Kaka's second-half goal secured a rather fortuitous 1-0 win for AC Milan which kept the title-holders level on points with Juventus at the top of Serie
Inter's first league defeat of the season left them in fourth place on 43 points - 14 off the pace.
"Milan did practically nothing to win, but little episodes change the course of matches and luck was on their side rather than ours," Mancini said.
"Perhaps we could have done more with the chances we had, but I cannot criticise my players for the way they performed."
Inter had edged a closely-fought contest until Kaka diverted Gennaro Gattuso's shot - which Inter keeper Francesco Toldo had covered - into the net.
Despite a yawning gap between Inter and the joint leaders, Mancini refused to admit defeat in the title race.
"Ill only stop believing when it is mathematically impossible," he said.
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti responded to Mancini's claims that luck was on the side of the reigning champions.
"Fortune favours the brave and we put ourselves in positions to earn the lucky breaks," he countered.
"Inter played very well in the first half and we were certainly under pressure, but all that matters is that were at the top of the table."
The match at the San Siro was a drab affair and rarely lived up to its billing.
The best moment of the first half came in stoppage time when Inter's Juan Sebastian Veron's vicious drive was superbly turned away by Nelson Dida.
The deadlock was broken 16 minutes from time.
Clarence Seedorf's left-wing corner was headed out by Ivan Cordoba, but only as far as Gattuso whose shot from the edge of the box was turned in by Kaka.