Inter Milan remain 14 points clear at the top of Serie A after extending their record run of league wins to 17 matches with a 5-2 victory against Catania on Sunday.
ROME: Inter Milan remain 14 points clear at the top of Serie A after extending their record run of league wins to 17 matches with a 5-2 victory against Catania on Sunday.
Walter Samuel headed Inter in front on the stroke of half time before Santiago Solari’s shot went in off the post shortly after the interval. Fabio Grosso’s miscued cross found the net in the 57th minute to stretch the reigning champions’ advantage. Gionatha Spinesi pulled one back for Catania with his 12th goal of the season, only for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to restore Inter’s three-goal cushion with a cool finish.Giuseppe Corona made it 4-2 before Julio Cruz netted Inter’s fifth goal with a close-range half-volley. Catania’s misery was compounded by a red card for Spinese two minutes from time.
The game took place at a neutral ground in Cesena and was the only Serie A match to be played behind closed doors this weekend. Catania have been banned from playing at their Massimino stadium in Sicily for the rest of the season. Inter, whose Champions League hopes were dented after their 2-2 last 16, first leg draw at home to Valencia on Wednesday, have 66 points from their 24 matches played. Cruz was delighted to mark his first full 90 minutes for three months with a goal and the man-of-the-match award.
Second-placed Roma won 3-0 at home to Reggina with second-half goals from Francesco Tavano, Philippe Mexes and Christian Panucci ending the Calabrians’ early resistance. Roma captain Francesco Totti missed a penalty, his sixth spot-kick miss this season. Roma have 52 points, eight more than Palermo who were held 1-1 at Atalanta on Saturday.
Lazio climbed into fourth spot on 37 points after their 2-0 win at Cagliari while AC Milan are a point behind the Rome club in fifth place following their last-gasp 1-0 home victory against Sampdoria.
Massimo Ambrosini was Milan’s hero, heading home Marek Jankulovski’s cross in the 90th minute at the San Siro. Empoli suffered a 2-0 derby defeat at Tuscan rivals Fiorentina.
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