Milan beat city rivals Internazionale 2-1 at San Siro to breathe new life into the Serie A title race.
Second half goals from Pippo Inzaghi and Kaka put Milan in a commanding position before Julio Cruz scored for Inter to set up a nervous finale. Inter’s title rivals Roma had earlier secured an impressive 3-0 win at Sampdoria. Veteran defender Christian Panucci opened the scoring in the 75th minute, before Chilean midfielder David Pizarro and Brazilian full-back Cicinho struck in the 79th and 85th minutes. Roma are now a mere three points behind Inter, with two games left to play.
Milan’s win lifts them above Fiorentina and into the lucrative Champions’ League places. Fiorentina’s 2-1 defeat at Cagliari caps a disappointing week for Viola, who were eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Rangers in midweek. The result leaves Cagliari mathematically safe from relegation. Udinese remain in contention for a top-four finish after beating Empoli 1-0. Highly-rated Italian forward Fabio Quagliarella got the only goal of the game after eighteen minutes.
At the bottom of the table, Reggina secured an important 2-1 win away at fellow strugglers Catania. Livorno came back from two goals down to draw level against Atalanta, only to be undone by an 88th-minute winner from Padoin. The situation remains very tight with two games to play, with six points separating the bottom five.
By Houman Barekat