Milan keep chasing pack at arm's length
Sunday, January 23, 2011
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AC Milan maintained their four-point lead at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win against AC Cesena, but titleholders FC Internazionale Milano fell further adrift after defeat at Udinese Calcio.
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AC Milan beat AC Cesena 2-0 to stay four points clear at the top of Serie A.
The Rossoneri took the lead on the stroke of half-time against third-bottom Cesena, Maximiliano Pellegrino poking into his own net when attempting to dispossess Zlatan Ibrahimović. The Sweden striker then added a second in added time as Milan maintained their advantage over SSC Napoli, who returned to second spot above AS Roma by defeating AS Bari 2-0 through goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi (38) and Edinson Cavani (87). Bari's Alessandro Parisi was dismissed midway through the second half.
In the early game, Leonardo failed to win at the FC Internazionale Milano helm for the first time. The Brazilian coach looked set to record a sixth straight victory since succeeding Rafael Benítez when Dejan Stanković gave his side a 16th-minute lead away against Udinese Calcio. That was as good as it got, though, as goals from Cristián Zapata (21), Antonio Di Natale (25) and Maurizio Domizzi (69) lifted Udinese into eighth. Inter lie nine points adrift of the summit in fifth, having played one game fewer than their city rivals.
Lazio are two points better off in fourth, despite losing 3-1 at 13th-placed Bologna FC, while Juventus are sixth – level with the Nerazzurri – following a 0-0 draw at UC Sampdoria. AC Chievo Verona versus Genoa CFC also ended goalless and, finally, ACF Fiorentina drew 1-1 with US Lecce.
