No change as top two draw in Italy

There was no change at the top of Serie A after leaders FC Internazionale Milano and nearest pursuers AS Roma both drew on Saturday.

Parity in Rome
Inter, who remain four points ahead of the second-placed Giallorossi, had to settle for a share of the spoils against S.S. Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. Roberto Mancini's men gained an early advantage when Hernán Crespo scored from close range after good work between Maicon, who delivered the cross, and Dejan Stanković. However, the lead lasted only until the 59th minute when Tommaso Rocchi broke the offside trap and beat goalkeeper Julio Cesar in a one-on-one. Júlio César then saved Inter by touching a Valon Behrami shot on to the crossbar.

All-square in Sardinia
Earlier in the day, Roma had missed the chance to close the gap to Inter to just one point when they were held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Cagliari Calcio. Francesco Totti's 14th league goal of the season was not enough for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists, who had fallen behind to a Matteo Ferrari own goal after only three minutes. Totti equalised with a free-kick on the stroke of half-time, but the visitors' attempts to claim maximum plunder were thwarted by the excellence of goalkeeper Marco Storari. Roma next face Manchester United FC at the Stadio Olimpico in Tuesday's quarter-final first leg. Cagliari move clear of the relegation zone, one point above third-bottom AS Livorno Calcio. Lazio go ninth in the standings.

AS Roma defeat AC Milan

Second-half substitutes Ludovic Giuly and Mirko Vučinić scored the goals as AS Roma came from behind to defeat AC Milan 2-1 at the Olimpico and close to within three points of FC Internazionale Milano ahead of the Serie A leaders' match against US Città di Palermo on Sunday.

Kaká opener
With Roma eyeing the title and the Rossoneri needing points to break into the top four, the first half was cagey with defences having little trouble establishing dominance. Milan were the first team to up the tempo following the restart and home goalkeeper Doni was twice forced to make smart stops to deny Kaká (50) and Clarence Seedorf (55). The Brazilian goalkeeper could do nothing in the 66th minute, though, when Massimo Oddo's low cross from the right was drilled into the top of the net by Kaká.

Two-goal burst
As Milan were seemingly in control, it was a surprise to see Roma turn the match around with a two-goal burst in three minutes. First, Giuly latched on to Simone Perrotta's pass and volleyed past ZeljKo Kalac. Then Vučinić controlled a raking ball from Daniele De Rossi after beating the offside trap and dispatched it low into the Australian's goal. Milan remain in fifth place, a point behind ACF Fiorentina ahead of the visit of Genoa CFC to Florence on Sunday.

Udinese held
In the day's earlier match, Udinese Calcio twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at home against S.S. Lazio. The visitors dominated the first half and took the lead eleven minutes in when Tommaso Rocchi rounded Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovič to score into an empty net. The Zebrette responded eleven minutes after the restart through defender Damiano Ferronetti, but fell behind again when Christian Ledesma (80) fired the Roman visitors in front with a long-range effort. The hosts were not to be denied, though, and Antonio Di Natale levelled with four minutes remaining to leave Udinese in sixth, two points above UC Sampdoria. The Biancocelesti are seven points further back in tenth.

Juventus 2-3 Fiorentina

Substitute Daniel Pablo Osvaldo struck an added-time winner as ACF Fiorentina moved a point behind Juventus with a 3-2 victory in Turin – their first away victory over the Bianconeri in two decades.

Open race
Osvaldo kept his cool in the dying seconds, capitalising on some lax defending to head in Papa Waigo's cross to seal a first Viola victory at Juve since 15 May 1988. It completed a memorable contribution for Senegalese winter-signing Waigo, who had made it 2-2 only 15 minutes before having come on as a second-half substitute. Until then Juve had seemed destined for victory after Mohamed Sissoko (29) and Mauro Camoranesi (60) had cancelled out Massimo Gobbi's 19th-minute opener. Victory would have sent Juve seven points clear in Italy's third UEFA Champions League berth but Osvaldo denied the, that, even if he did then receive a second yellow card for taking off his shirt in the subsequent celebration.

Udinese triumph
Fiorentina's win means AC Milan are now four points off fourth spot, and they will be wary of Udinese Calcio behind them after Pasquale Marino's men enjoyed a return to form with a 2-0 triumph at home to Atalanta BC. Two goals in as many first-half minutes from Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio Di Natale helped Udinese to only their fourth Serie A win since the end of November. At the other end of the table there was also a welcome victory for bottom side Cagliari Calcio, whose 2-1 triumph against Genoa CFC – their second victory in five days – to move within four points of safety.

Diamante finish
AS Livorno Calcio moved out of the relegation zone at the expense of opponents Calcio Catania as Alessandro Diamante's effort just after the hour proved sufficient for the home side. Empoli FC also hosted a battle between two struggling sides as they met AC Siena, though this time the visitors prevailed, Christian Rigano wrapping up a 2-0 win in added time. Empoli's misery was compounded by the dismissal of Davide Moro and there was a sending off at UC Sampdoria too, Antonio Cassano receiving his marching orders to sully his earlier goal which earned a 2-2 draw with Torino FC. Reggina Calcio and US Città di Palermo also shared the spoils with a goalless draw.

Win preserves Roma title bid

Roma registered a comfortable 4-0 win over Parma at the Stadio Olimpico to move to within six points of league leaders Internazionale and keep alive their title dream. Elsewhere, Milan passed up the chance to reclaim fourth place as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Lazio at the San Siro.


Roma 4-0 Parma

In the capital, goals from Alberto Aquilani, Francesco Totti, Mirko Vucinic and a Giulio Falcone own-goal gave the Giallorossi a comprehensive victory - and kept up the pressure on Inter, who play at Napoli on Sunday.

Roma face Real Madrid in a crunch Champions League encounter next week, but coach Luciano Spalletti opted not to rest any key players ahead of the clash in Spain and named the strongest side available to him.

But his somewhat risky tactics paid off and Roma ultimately cruised to all three points after putting in a performance that served as good preparation for the Bernabeu test.

Aquilani - who later appeared to have a verbal spat with captain Totti - was the architect of the move which led to the opener, and it was the Italy international who also applied the finishing touch.

His neat turn in the centre circle took him away from two Parma players before the ball found its way out to Max Tonetto on the left wing. The full-back's cross was only partially beaten away by Luca Bucci and fell in the path of Aquilani who found the back of the net despite the keeper's best efforts to make amends for his error.

Roma continued to apply pressure to the visitors' goal, and they were rewarded soon after the restart when, under pressure from Christian Panucci, Falcone could only direct his attempted overhead clearance into his own net.

Totti then got in on the act, finding the top corner with a sumptuous drive with 10 minutes remaining before substitute Vucinic completed the scoring in injury time, following yet more calamitous Parma defending, this time from Damiano Zenoni.

The result leaves Parma anxiously looking over their shoulder with just two points separating them from the drop zone.

Milan 1-1 Lazio

Milan again failed to impress at the San Siro as the Rossoneri played out their tenth draw of the season so far.

A lacklustre first half in Milan exploded into life after the break as Lazio took the game to their hosts, creating an intense period of pressure that soon resulted in the opening goal.

Milan's veteran keeper Zeljko Kalac was by far the busiest player on the pitch after the restart and the Australian pulled off two good saves in as many minutes - first to deny Tomasso Rocchi and then Goran Pandev.

But he could do nothing about Rolando Bianchi's effort in the 54th minute as the man on loan from Manchester City slid in to poke Pandev's cross into the bottom corner and register his second in two games.

Milan's equaliser came in the 66th minute, but they had to rely on a refereeing decision to get it. The official spotted Lazio midfielder Valon Behrami tugging on Kakha Kaladze's shirt in the penalty area, and promptly awarded a spot kick which former Lazio player Massimo Oddo dispatched coolly.

The visitors ended the match with ten men after Lorenzo De Silvestri hacked down Alexandre Pato with six minutes remaining and received his marching orders.

The result left Milan in fourth place, a point behind Fiorentina, who will have a chance to put further daylight between themselves and the Rossoneri with victory at Juventus on Sunday.

More worrying for Milan though will be their continued inability to unlock defences in open play and win matches at home - especially with the visit of Arsenal in the Champions League next week.

Roma continue pursuit of Inter

AS Roma cut FC Internazionale Milano's lead at the top of Serie A to five points via a 2-0 win against Reggina Calcio while Atalanta BC and ACF Fiorentina shared four goals.

Roma response
Roma were desperate to make amends for last week's shock 3-0 setback at AC Siena and made the breakthrough on 21 minutes when Christian Panucci headed Francesco Totti's cross past the Reggina goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo. The victory was confirmed with 15 minutes remaining when Ludovic Giuly's drive rebounded into the path of Mancini and the Brazilian made no mistake to leave Reggina rooted in the bottom three. Inter can re-establish their eight-point cushion at the summit if they win at Calcio Catania tomorrow.

Muslimović double
Elsewhere, Fiorentina's hopes of securing a place in next season's UEFA Champions League suffered a setback after Zlatan Muslimović's added-time equaliser rescued a point for Atalanta. The Viola opened the scoring through former Atalanta academy product Giampaolo Pazzini on 29 minutes, but their joy was short-lived as Muslimović levelled a minute later. Fiorentina regained the lead on the hour mark when Franco Semioli headed in a cross from Zdravko Kuzmanović, but Muslimović had the final say when he equalised for the Bergamo club just prior to the final whistle. Fiorentina are now five points clear of fifth-placed AC Milan, who have two games in hand, while Atalanta remain in seventh spot.

Napoli dent Udinese top-four bid

SSC Napoli denied Udinese Calcio the chance to close the gap on the top four with Serie A victory, on a day when US Città di Palermo moved up to seventh with three points against AS Livorno Calcio.

Disasterous start
Udinese started the day four points adrift of fourth-placed ACF Fiorentina but had a disasterous start at Napoli's Stadio San Paolo when Cristian Zapata put the ball in his own net with just three minutes played. Simone Pepe restored parity five minutes later however and before the interval the hosts were down to ten men following Paolo Cannavaro's dismissal.

Lavezzi double
Just short of the hour it became ten-a-side though following a straight red card for Pepe and two goals in as many minutes by Ezequiel Lavezzi (74&75) proved decisive in securing victory for Napoli. It was a win that moved the hosts up to ninth, while Palermo also moved in the right direction following a 1-0 victory against Livorno - Fabrizio Miccoli scoring the game's only goal on 77 minutes.

Fiorentina in the top four

ACF Fiorentina moved into the top four in Serie A after penalties from Christian Vieri and Adrian Mutu proved decisive against Torino FC, while Genoa CFC also enjoyed victory.

Fine form
Starting the day in fifth, Fiorentina continued their recent good form as they made it five wins in succession in all competitions. The UEFA Cup contenders gained the initiative against Torino when Vieri converted the first spot-kick of the game on the stroke of half-time. Vince Grella equalised for the visitors (58) but another penalty, this time taken by Mutu (76), sealed the points for Fiorentina.

Genoa comeback
Meanwhile, Genoa came back from a goal behind to defeat Atalanta BC at home. A penalty after 65 minutes from Cristiano Doni had given the visitors from Bergamo the advantage but two goals in nine minutes by Marco Borriello (72) and Lucho Figueroa (81) sealed the points for Genoa. It was a win that moved them above their opponents and up into seventh in the standings.

Totti scored twice for Roma's victory

Francesco Totti scored both goals in the 2-0 defeat of UC Sampdoria to take AS Roma to within four points of the Serie A summit after Genoa CFC had edged their encounter with Parma FC 1-0.

Chipped penalty
Roma were missing a number of first-team regulars with Rodrigo Taddei and Alberto Aquilani out injured and Philippe Mexes suspended but Totti, himself looking for match fitness having only recently returned from a foot complaint, revived the Giallorossi's title aspirations with a penalty (17), awarded for a foul on Matteo Ferrari by Stefano Lucchini, which he cheekily chipped in.

Landmark goal
Sampdoria almost equalised three minutes from time when Andrea Caracciolo's volley was superbly repelled by goalkeeper Doni but Totti (89) sealed the match from close range with his 160th Serie A goal. Luciano Spalletti's side lie second on 36 points while FC Internazionale Milano, who face AC Milan on Sunday, lead the Scudetto race with 40. Earlier, Marco Borriello (43) also netted a spot-kick to hand Genoa a narrow win against Parma, whom they leapfrogged by a point to move into eleventh place.

Del Piero at the double for Juventus

David Trezeguet's 12th league goal of the season and an Alessandro Del Piero double took Juventus up to joint-second place in Serie A after a thrilling 3-2 win against S.S. Lazio while Udinese Calcio failed to stay in touch after slipping to their third defeat of the campaign.

Trezeguet strike
Juventus continued their seamless transition to top-flight football with an exciting victory at the Stadio Olimpico. The hosts had been hoping to erase the memory of their midweek UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid CF but fell behind when Trezeguet pounced from close range to give his side the lead (29). However, Goran Pandev, who scored in Spain, headed Lazio level six minutes later in an open affair.

Del Piero double
With Vincenzo Iaquinta and Mauro Camoranesi out injured Del Piero took the rare opportunity to impress from the start by restoring the lead when he sprang the offside trap and raced half the length of the field before coolly beating Marco Ballotta (48). And, after Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a series of extraordinary saves for the visitors, the Juve captain scored again with a powerful shot (70). Pandev was again on target late on but the Turin-based outfit held on to move level on 32 points with AS Roma, who travel to Torino FC on Sunday, and five points behind leaders FC Internazionale Milano.

Udinese loss
Udinese missed out on the chance to keep up with the top three after succumbing to their third defeat of the season at Calcio Catania. Giuseppe Mascara scored early on for the hosts and doubled his tally four minutes from time to take his side up to eighth in the table and put one over on former coach Pasquale Marino, who left Catania for the Friulani in the summer.

Inter take advantage of Roma slip

FC Internazionale Milano increased their Serie A lead to five points as they cruised to a 4-0 win against Torino Calcio while second-placed AS Roma were held 1-1 by AS Livorno Calcio.

Unanswered goals
Inter were in control from the start against Torino and went ahead late in the first half when Zlatan Ibrahimović was felled in the box by Gianluca Comotto and stepped up to convert the penalty himself. The second goal followed in the 50th minute when Cristian Chivu embarked on a run down the left and chipped in a cross for Julio Cruz to head in. Luis Jiménez soon added another as he burst into the Torino area and unleashed an unstoppable shot. Iván Córdoba had the least word with a close-range header.

Roma denied
Things looked good for Roma when Daniele De Rossi gave them a fourth-minute lead at Livorno, but Diego Tristán swiftly equalised and although the visitors dominated possession they had to settle for a draw. Roma are now only three points ahead of Juventus, who defeated Atalanta BC 1-0 thanks to a long-range Pavel Nedvěd effort four minutes from time. Udinese Calcio are just one point behind Juve after coming from behind to defeat UC Sampdoria 3-2 thanks to a pair of late goals from Fabio Quagliarella. ACF Fiorentina are a further four points back in fifth after losing 2-0 away to US Città di Palermo on Saturday.

Pozzi heroics
Four teams began the day level at the bottom on ten points, but two of those sides secured victories this afternoon. Empoli FC moved ahead of Cagliari Calcio with a 4-1 victory thanks to four Nicola Pozzi goals while AC Siena picked up a 3-1 win at Genoa CFC, themselves only two points clear of the relegation zone. Fellow strugglers Reggina Calcio were not in action as scheduled opponents AC Milan are involved in the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan next week. In Sunday's late game, SSC Napoli meet Parma FC.

Fiorentina missed the chance

ACF Fiorentina missed the chance to go into the Serie A top three on Saturday night as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at US Città di Palermo, with S.S. Lazio defeating Calcio Catania by the same scoreline to move seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Miccoli strikes
Fabrizio Miccoli, recently recovered from injury, opened the scoring for Palermo against his former club on 17 minutes. Fabio Simplicio sealed the victory with nine minute remaining to move Palermo back into the top seven after a recent indifferent run.

Lazio win
In Rome, Christian Terlizzi hit the bar with an early header for Catania but on eight minutes Lazio scored when Tommaso Rocchi headed in a free-kick from Cristián Ledesma. The home side remained in control and just before the end Catania had Gionatha Spinesi sent off prior to Goran Pandev's last-minute clincher, a boost for Lazio who must win at Real Madrid CF on Tuesday to keep their UEFA Champions League hopes alive.

Juventus extend San Siro jinx

AC Milan remain winless at San Siro in Serie A this season after a 0-0 draw against Juventus while UC Sampdoria managed their sixth league win of the season against Reggina Calcio.

Eventful draw
There were no goals at the stadio Giuseppe Meazza but there was plenty of action at either end in an entertaining match. The visitors came closest to taking the lead on eleven minutes when David Trezeguet hit the post, while Dida was at full stretch to deny a fierce Hasan Salihamidžić strike shortly after the break.

In-form Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon also excelled in the Juve goal thwarting a second-half Kaká volley and saving Filippo Inzaghi's late effort with his legs, while Paolo Maldini's last-minute effort beat the Italy goalkeeper only to whistle over the bar. The Bianconeri are in second place, two points behind leaders FC Internazionale Milano, who have played two games less and travel to ACF Fiorentina on Sunday. Milan, meanwhile, are provisionally in seventh place.

Bellucci double
Sampdoria moved up to sixth place in Serie A following their third 3-0 win in four matches. Claudio Bellucci took his league goal tally for the season to seven after scoring twice (5, 76) either side of midfielder Paolo Sammarco's 56th-minute strike. Lowly Reggina's miserable afternoon was compounded by the dismissal of defender Maurizio Lanzaro (75).

Milan earn vital league boost

AC Milan got a much-needed victory in Serie A, coming from behind to defeat Cagliari Calcio for only their fourth win of the season as Juventus emphatically brushed aside US Città di Palermo to go third in the standings.

Pirlo winner
European champions Milan, who started the day in eleventh, have endured a disappointing campaign and it seemed as though it was going to get worse when Robert Acquafresca gave Cagliari the lead after just four minutes. The visitors managed to claw their way back, however, and after Kaká had seen a penalty saved and fit-again Ronaldo hit the post, Alberto Gilardino equalised just after the hour. Andrea Pirlo then snatched a winner with a stunning free-kick five minutes from time. The win moved Milan up to ninth and sent Cagliari bottom.

Juventus impress
The Rossoneri remain eleven points adrift of leaders and city rivals FC Internazionale Milano, however, and eight behind Juventus and Udinese Calcio, who both leapfrogged ACF Fiorentina to move into third and fourth respectively. While Fiorentina were held to a 0-0 draw at Reggina Calcio, Juventus registered a 5-0 win against US Città di Palermo in Turin, Alessandro Del Piero scoring twice added to strikes by David Trezeguet, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Marco Marchionni. Udinese, meanwhile, enjoyed a 2-0 success against Siena – Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio Di Natale getting the goals.

Lazio drama
Elsewhere, a last-minute Fabio Firmani goal helped struggling S.S. Lazio to a 1-0 home victory against Parma FC and AS Livorno Calcio picked up a vital three points with a 3-1 win against UC Sampdoria. Two Marcelo Zalayeta strikes helped SSC Napoli to a 2-0 success against Calcio Catania and the match between Empoli FC and Torino FC ended goalless.

Inter win to keep Roma in check

FC Internazionale Milano defeated Atalanta BC 2-1 on Saturday night to reclaim sole leadership of Serie A after AS Roma had temporarily joined them at the summit by winning at Genoa CFC.

Ibrahimović rested
With an eye on Tuesday's UEFA Champions League visit of Fenerbahçe SK, Inter coach Roberto Mancini started with leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimović on the bench but saw Julio Cruz and David Suazo combine to deadly effect in the Swede’s absence. Suazo opened the scoring on eleven minutes following a one-two with Cruz, who turned in the second on the half-hour after his strike partner had fired against the post. Sergio Floccari then scored with a powerful drive for Atalanta (39), who finished with ten men following Simone Inzaghi's late dismissal shortly after Inter had introduced the fit-again Marco Materazzi for the first time this season.

Panucci winner
In Genoa, Christian Panucci – a former Genoa player who sealed Italy's place at UEFA EURO 2008™ last Saturday when scoring against Scotland – popped up in the last minute again to earn Roma three points. Both teams had struck the woodwork in the second half before the defender's crucial intervention, Matteo Paro (72) for Genoa and Mirko Vučinić (77) for the visitors. AS Roma travel to FC Dynamo Kyiv in midweek.

Lazio tragedy causes postponement

The Serie A game between FC Internazionale Milano and S.S. Lazio was postponed after a Lazio fan was killed after being accidentally shot by a police officer attempting to break up an incident between Lazio and Juventus supporters at a motorway service station at Badia al Pino in Tuscany.

Postponed
Lazio fans were travelling to Milan for the game against Inter, while Juventus supporters were on their way to their league fixture against Parma FC when the incident occurred. After emergency talks between the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Italian government it was decided that Lazio's game with Inter should be postponed, with the kick-off in all of the other Serie A matches delayed by ten minutes. The match between Atalanta BC and AC Milan, meanwhile, was postponed after just seven minutes following disturbances between Atalanta fans and police.

'Tradegy'
Giancarlo Abete, president of the FIGC, said: "We decided to postpone the game between Inter and Lazio to mourn the death of the Lazio fan. We are still trying to discover what actually happened. At the moment it does not seem similar to other previous football-related incidents. Apparently it was a clash between two small groups of fans and probably not even for sporting reasons. The attempt to stop this clash became a tragedy." Chief of Arezzo police, Vincenzo Giacobbe said: "It was a tragic mistake. I want to express my pain and my commiserations to the family of the person."

SERIA A Week 12

ACF Fiorentina spurned the chance to move to the top of Serie A when they suffered their first defeat of the season against Udinese Calcio, who moved level on points with AS Roma and third-placed Juventus after the Bianconeri drew 2-2 at Parma FC.

End of run
Fiorentina celebrated a 6-1 UEFA Cup success against Elfsborg IF on Thursday but the unbeaten Viola were brought back to earth by Udinese, who took the lead when Fabio Quagliarella rose to head Simone Pepe's cross past Sebastien Frey midway through the first half. Fiorentina hit back within five minutes through Giampaolo Pazzini but the visitors took the points when Italian international striker Antonio Di Natale finished off a sweeping team move in the 62rd minute.

Juve rally
Juventus could have moved into second place with a win but were grateful for just the point after going two goals down at Parma. The hosts took the lead when Andrea Gasbarroni (42) converted a penalty following a foul on Reginaldo. Andrea Pisanu (58) doubled the lead for the Ducali but Juve hit back in a frenetic finale, Nicola Legrottaglie halving the deficit on 71 minutes before substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta struck the equaliser ten minutes from time. In a match high in tension, Parma's Domenico Morfeo and Ferdinand Coly and visiting defender Giorgio Chiellini were all dismissed. Elsewhere, AS Livorno completed their second league victory in three matches with a 3-2 win at AC Siena, bottom club Reggina Calcio won 2-0 against Genoa CFC while Torino FC and Calcio Catania drew 1-1.

Supporter death
The Serie A programme was overshadowed by events in Tuscany where an S.S. Lazio supporter was killed following an incident. Consequently, the match between FC Internazionale Milano and Lazio was postponed, while Atalanta BC v AC Milan was abandoned after eight minutes due to crowd disturbances. Second-placed AS Roma's home match against Cagliari Calcio, scheduled for Sunday evening, was also postponed for security reasons.

Giovanni Tedesco scored twice as US Città di Palermo came from behind to complete a 2-1 win against SSC Napoli following UC Sampdoria’s 3-0 win against Empoli FC.

Tedesco strikes
Napoli were hoping to bring their poor away form to an end in Sicily and when Mariano Bogliacino broke the deadlock ten minutes after the break the promoted Serie A side were on course for only their second away win of the season. However, their lead lasted just two minutes as Tedesco struck his first goal of the season and then doubled his tally midway through the second half to end Palermo's run of seven matches without a win.

Samp success
Sampdoria secured their third victory in five matches as they eased past Empoli. The Blucerchiati took an early lead when Uruguayan international Guillermo Giacomazzi turned the ball into his own goal after six minutes. Vincenzo Montella then scored his third league goal of the season five minutes before half-time and Paolo Sammarco completed his side's second 3-0 win in as many matches in the final minute.

SERIA A week 11

Giampaolo Pazzini took advantage of a defensive mistake to score the only goal as ACF Fiorentina maintained their unbeaten start to the season and left S.S. Lazio floundering in the lower half of the Serie A table.

Second place
The Viola broke the deadlock on 19 minutes when Lazio goalkeeper Marco Ballotta failed to deal with a weak Emílson Sánchez Cribari back-pass and Pazzini was able to roll the ball into an empty net. The former Italy Under-21 striker hit the bar following a swift counterattack in the second half, and Lazio’s misery was completed when Massimo Mutarelli was dismissed just before the end. Fiorentina are now just a point behind leaders FC Internazionale Milano ahead of the champions' trip to Juventus on Sunday.

Home drought
In the later match, AC Milan failed to build on their 5-0 midweek victory at UC Sampdoria as they drew 0-0 at home against Torino FC. Alberto Gilardino saw a first-half chance saved well by Matteo Sereni and then shot wide from a promising position after the break, while substitute Filippo Inzaghi found himself one-on-one with Sereni but could not find the net having pushed the ball too far wide. The European champions remain winless at San Siro in Serie A this season, taking just three points from six games. Incredibly, Milan have scored ten goals in their last two away trips in the league but have not registered in three home fixtures and are still searching for a first success since a 3-1 defeat of Cagliari Calcio on 21 April.

SERIA A Week 10

AC Milan returned to their best Serie A form with a 5-0 victory at UC Sampdoria tonight, while AS Roma won an exciting derby against S.S. Lazio to stay within three points of leaders FC Internazionale Milano.

Milan cruise
All 20 top-flight teams were in action on Wednesday and it was an important day for Milan who had won just once in five league games. That was a 5-1 success at Lazio and although they were goalless at half-time against Sampdoria, Kaká put Milan ahead in the 47th minute. Alberto Gilardino scored two more before the hour mark and substitute Yoann Gourcuff and Clarence Seedorf completed the victory.

Roma delight
Milan are up to eighth but Roma remain second after a 3-2 home triumph over their neighbours. Lazio had led on 12 minutes through Tommaso Rocchi but Mirko Vučinić swiftly levelled and Mancini put Roma in front at the break. Simone Perrotta doubled Roma's advantage on 66 minutes and although Cristián Ledesma set up a close finish, Lazio could not equalise and are only two points above the relegation zone.

Inter prevail
Inter stay on top thanks to a 4-1 defeat of Genoa CFC at San Siro. Iván Córdoba scored in the eighth minute and Esteban Cambiasso got another early in the second half. Although Abdoulay Konko pulled one back, David Suazo immediately replied and Julio Cruz converted a late penalty.

Trezeguet hat-trick
It was a good day for the rest of the leading five as Inter and Roma's feats were matched by Juventus overcoming Empoli FC 3-0 at home with a 19-minute second-half David Trezeguet hat-trick, ACF Fiorentina overcoming visitors SSC Napoli 1-0, and hosts Udinese Calcio beating Torino FC 2-1. AS Livorno Calcio ended their ten-game wait for a 2007/08 league victory as they secured a 3-1 win at Reggina Calcio to join their opponents on five points at the bottom. Atalanta BC were held 2-2 by Cagliari Calcio and it was 1-1 between US Città di Palermo and Parma FC as well as in Calcio Catania's trip to AC Siena.

SERIA A Week 9

A second-half header by AS Roma striker Mirko Vučinić condemned AC Milan to their second consecutive 1-0 home defeat as FC Internazionale Milano were held at US Città di Palermo.

Poor start
Although top of their UEFA Champions League Group D, Milan, who have yet to win at home this term, have made their worst start to a Serie A season in 26 years. Serbia striker Vučinić, who was playing in the absence of injured Roma captain Francesco Totti, connected with Cicinho's cross at the near post on 72 minutes to revive his side's title hopes and heap more misery on the European champions who had Massimo Ambrosini sent off.

Lazio loss
The Giallorossi, for whom Daniele De Rossi also missed a penalty, move into second place, three points behind leaders Inter, who were held to a goalless draw at Palermo, and a point clear of Juventus, who lost 3-1 at SSC Napoli on Saturday. Roma's city rivals S.S. Lazio also suffered disappointment at the hands of Udinese Calcio as Gyan Asamoah scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes from time at the Stadio Olimpico to send his side into sixth place.

Doni winner
Empoli FC may have won at Milan last weekend but were this time on the receiving end of a 1-0 scoreline as Cristiano Doni was on target (72) for Atalanta BC, who move up to seventh place as a result. Calcio Catania were also winners thanks to a 2-0 success against UC Sampdoria courtesy of first-half goals by Giuseppe Mascara and Jorge Martìnez, while Parma FC shared five goals with bottom club AS Livorno Calcio to run out 3-2 winners. AC Siena and Reggina Calcio, meanwhile, shared a 0-0 draw.

Two Maurizio Domizzi penalties within eight minutes ensured SSC Napoli came from behind to secure a 3-1 win against old rivals Juventus and move into the top five in Serie A.

Swift equaliser
A win for Juve would have taken them level on points with leaders FC Internazionale Milano, and although David Trezeguet had an effort ruled out for offside late in the first half, the second period was barely a minute old when the French striker linked up with Naples-born Raffaele Palladino to set up Alessandro Del Piero for a powerful finish. Napoli wasted no time in equalising though as Gargano burst into the box and shot past Gianluigi Buffon.

Domizzi penalties
Trezeguet hit the post on 53 minutes and Del Piero fired the rebound over, and Napoli made them pay just past the hour as Ezequiel Lavezzi was fouled in the box by Giorgio Chiellini and Domizzi converted the penalty. Eight minutes later Napoli had another spot-kick was Buffon brought down Marcelo Zalayeta - who moved south after a decade with Juve in the summer - and again Domizzi made no mistake. Inter will look to double their three-point advantage over Juventus when they visit US Città di Palermo in one of the eight Sunday games.

Torino win
Torino moved up to tenth thanks to a 2-0 success against Cagliari Calcio. The Turin-based side, who were level with their opponents at the start of play with eight points from eight matches, took the lead on 69 minutes thanks to playmaker Alessandro Rosina's third league goal of the season and the match was settled four minutes from time when visiting defender Michele Ferri scored an own goal.