Ibrahimovic on song as Milan sink Cagliari
Reuters - Sunday 29 January 2012, 21:52
Zlatan Ibrahimovic curled home a
stunning free-kick and then turned provider as AC Milan moved to
within one point of Juventus at the top of Serie A with a 3-0
home win over Cagliari on Sunday.
Miroslav Klose scored two goals in two minutes to help Lazio
move up to fourth with a 3-0 win at Chievo Verona after Inter
Milan slumped to a 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Lecce.
Sweden striker Ibrahimovic was the differnce between the
sides at the San Siro, curling a free-kick into the top corner
from 25 metres after 32 minutes before chesting the ball down to
Antonio Nocerino to volley home a second seven minutes later.
Massimo Ambrosini poked home the third goal with a neat
finish with 15 minutes remaining in a win that moves Milan up to
43 points. Juventus beat third-placed Udinese 2-1 on Saturday.
Lazio's Klose grabbed his brace in the 88th and 89th minutes
to take his league tally for the season to 11 after Brazilian
midfielder Hernanes had opened the scoring in the 21st.
"The win was important for lifting the lads' morale after
what they suffered in the two away games in Milan," Lazio coach
Edy Reja told Sky Sport television after a victory that ended a
run of three successive away defeats including a 3-1 loss at AC
Milan in the cup quarter-final on Thursday.
"It's very satisfying to have jumped ahead of Inter... are we
good enough for third place? We will try and believe in it for
as long as possible."
Uruguayan midfielder Guillermo Giacomazzi slowed Inter's
challenge for the Champions League places with a low shot from
close-range in the 40th minute at Lecce's Via del Mare stadium
as Claudio Ranieri's men slipped to fifth.
"We have to look ahead," said Ranieri, who saw two goals
disallowed for offside and who took off Dutch playmaker Wesley
Sneijder at half-time to go back to a more solid 4-4-2 formation.
"We are three points behind Udinese... the Champions League
threshold is our aim."
Sixth-placed AS Roma were held 1-1 at home to Bologna while
seventh-placed Napoli went down 3-2 at Genoa, who had led 3-0
before a late fight-back by the visitors.
Croatian Igor Budan banged in two headers, one in each half,
as Palermo added to Novara's woes at the bottom of the table
with a 2-0 defeat.
Atalanta beat Cesena 1-0 with defender Marco Rossi scoring a
76th minute own-goal three minutes before Atalanta's top scorer
German Denis was sent off for a second yellow card.
In the Tuscan derby, Brazilian-born striker Amauri helped
Fiorentina beat struggling Siena 2-1 on his club debut after
signing from Juventus earlier in the week.
Montenegrin Stevan Jovetic opened the scoring after four
minutes and Cesare Natali put the home side 2-0 up with a header
in the 63rd.
Emanuele Calaio then grabbed a consolation goal from the
penalty spot one minute from time after Serbian defender Matija
Nastasic handled in the area.
Fiorentina moved up to 10th place while Siena remained on
the cusp of the relegation zone in 17th place, three points
ahead of Lecce in 18th.
A group of about 300 Fiorentina fans, unhappy with
management and the team's form, had staged a protest outside the
stadium before kick-off with banners declaring "Players and
bosses you don't deserve our support" and "You must spend."