Inter and Napoli close gap at top
Reuters - Sunday 06 February 2011, 21:58
MILAN- Serie A leaders AC Milan slipped up
again in a 1-1 draw at Genoa on Sunday which opened the door for
Napoli and Inter Milan to cut the gap at the top.
Surprise packages Napoli failed to take advantage of Milan's
0-0 draw with Lazio in midweek when they lost at Chievo but
red-hot striker Edinson Cavani helped reduce Milan's lead to
three points with a 2-0 win over lowly Cesena.
The Uruguayan, Serie A's top scorer with 18 goals, converted
Christian Maggio's cross in the first half in Naples before Jose
Sosa netted in stoppage time.
Champions Inter Milan surged up to third, five behind Milan
with a game in hand, after Samuel Eto'o scored twice in an
enthralling 5-3 home win over last season's runners-up AS Roma.
Wesley Sneijder struck early in his first start for over a
month with a shot from the edge of the area, Roma's Simplicio
soon equalised but Eto'o gave Inter the half-time lead following
a breakaway.
Former Inter defender Nicolas Burdisso was sent off for
conceding a penalty with a foul on Giampaolo Pazzini 17 minutes
into the second period and Eto'o dispatched the spot-kick as last
term's treble winners purred like never before in this campaign.
Brazil-born Thiago Motta celebrated his first call-up to the
Italy squad with Inter's fourth before Mirko Vucinic and Simone
Loria pulled goals back for Roma, who could soon have new
American owners. Esteban Cambiasso bagged the hosts' fifth.
In Genoa, Milan took the lead when Alexandre Pato latched on
to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's pass on 29 minutes only for home striker
Antonio Floro Flores to strike in a loose ball.
LAZIO HELD
Milan's midfield was almost back to full strength after
injuries and suspension but the hosts defended stoutly and
deserved their point, with Rossoneri fans now fretting that a
first scudetto since 2004 does not look as clearcut as before.
"We knew it wouldn't be easy against Genoa," Milan coach
Massimiliano Allegri told Sky television.
"We were unlucky with their equaliser and in the second half
we didn't play well, we gave away too many balls."
Fourth-placed Lazio missed the chance to pressure Milan
themselves with a 1-1 home draw with Chievo.
Hernanes put the Romans in front with a ferocious free-kick
deep into first-half stoppage-time but Cesar equalised.
Palermo lie just two points behind Lazio in fifth following
a 4-2 win at struggling Lecce.
Previously struggling on-loan Juventus forward Amauri
superbly netted his first Parma goal in a 1-1 draw with
Fiorentina, who had Adrian Mutu back for the first time since
being banished for quitting training last month.
Third-bottom Brescia won the relegation battle with basement
side Bari, Alessandro Diamanti netting a penalty and Andrea
Caracciolo an injury-time strike in a 2-0 victory.
Bologna beat Catania 1-0 to send the Sicilians closer to the
drop zone with new coach Diego Simeone failing to stop a slide.
Juventus ended their bad run with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari
on Saturday when Alessandro Matri hit two against his ex-club.