Milan close in on scudetto success
Reuters - Saturday 16 April 2011, 21:56
MILAN - Leaders AC Milan took another
big step towards the Serie A title with a 3-0 home win over
relegation-threatened Sampdoria on Saturday while troubled
champions Inter Milan lost.
Third-placed Inter are now eight points adrift of Milan with
five games left after a shock 2-0 defeat at lowly Parma, meaning
their hopes of a sixth straight scudetto are almost over.
Milan took the lead against beleaguered Samp through
Clarence Seedorf on 20 minutes and striker Antonio Cassano
sealed the win from the spot early in the second half after a
contested handball before Robinho grabbed a third.
Milan were without suspended striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic but
still left Samp, fourth last term, just a point above the drop
zone.
Inter, dumped out of the Champions League as holders by
Schalke in the quarter-final second leg in midweek, suffered a
hangover at Parma who massively boosted their hopes of avoiding
relegation.
On-loan Juventus duo Sebastian Giovinco and Amauri did the
damage against old rivals Inter, whose only real hope of a
trophy this term now lies with the Italian Cup with semi-final
first legs being played next week.
Sixth-placed AS Roma, taken over by a U.S. consortium on
Friday, suffered a late 3-2 home defeat by Palermo to hit their
Champions League chances.
Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez scored two late goals to
steal victory.