Serie A

Inter Extend Lead Back to Seven

Zlatan Ibrahimović struck twice as Internazionale Milano re-established their seven-point lead in Serie A with a 3-0 win over Reggina while Genoa kept themselves in fourth by beating Udinese 2-0.

Juventus had cut Inter’s cushion at the top to four points with Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Roma, but the Italian titleholders never looked like wobbling at home against the side propping up the table. Esteban Cambiasso (7) got the ball rolling with a delicate chip and Ibrahimović increased the advantage from the penalty spot five minutes later. With goalkeeper Júlio César denying all-comers at the other end, Ibrahimović then secured maximum points 13 minutes after the interval, lobbing in his second to extend Inter’s unbeaten run in the league to ten games.

A distant 14 points back in third, AC Milan could only draw 0-0 at Roberto Donadoni’s mid-table Napoli, while Genoa kept hold of the final UEFA Champions League spot with their win over Udinese. Giuseppe Sculli broke the deadlock moments before the hour mark and, after the visitors lost Alexis Sánchez to a red card 17 minutes from the end, Diego Milito settled matters just before the whistle. That kept the Rossoblu two points clear of fifth-placed Fiorentina, who saw off Siena 1-0 courtesy of Adrian Mutu.

In the lower reaches, second-bottom Lecce drew 2-2 at home with Atalanta thanks to a last-gasp penalty from two-goal Fabio Caserta, while 18th-placed Torino lost 3-1 at home to Sampdoria. One place clear of the relegation berths, Bologna did themselves no favours by losing 1-0 to Cagliari but Verona, in 16th, aided their own cause with a 1-0 win over Palermo.