The Nerazzuri were 3-1 down in the second half, before Balotelli's spot-kick and a Hernan Crespo header earned Mourinho's men the crucial home draw.

“I think it was a penalty. Others can have their own opinion, but Mario was intelligent and saw the gap between two defenders, the legs cut him off, so what was he supposed to do," Mourinho wondered after the game.

The Portuguese tactician was full of praise for his players after they turned the two-goal deficit against Luciano Spalletti's men.

"When you are losing 2-0 and then 3-1 against a top level side, it's not the same as trailing a team with no quality.

"Any normal side would've lost the match at that point and I too thought it was a very difficult situation, but the team's character emerged."

Crespo Comeback

Crespo's equalizer was the Argentine's first of the season, as the 33-year-old spent most of the campaign as a substitute to both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano.

"I am very pleased for Crespo, because he is a fantastic guy, a player who experiences a moment without knowing his future and giving his all for Inter.

"He works hard, but the problem is that everyone wants to play. It's true he came on and made a real difference. This was his type of game in those final stages."