Serie A - Week 28: Sunday Review

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals as Inter pulled seven points clear at the summit with a 2-0 win against Fiorentina, while Filippo Inzaghi's brace took his career haul to 300 goals as AC Milan thumped Siena 5-1. Elsewhere, Roma drew at Sampdoria, Lazio were embarrassed by Chievo, Roberto Donadoni's Napoli were held and Gigi De Canio's Lecce had a disaster.

INTER 2-0 FIORENTINA
Inter restored their seven-point lead at the top of Serie A with a somewhat lucky win over Fiorentina at the San Siro. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a controversial goal after 11 minutes, but there was no doubt about his second - a stunning free-kcik - deep into stoppage time which sealed the victory and took Inter back seven points clear of Juventus. Inter once again had goalkeeper Julio Cesar to thank as he made a string of magnificent saves to deny the Viola, whose hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season were dented as they remain two points behind Genoa.

SIENA 1-5 AC MILAN
A five-star AC Milan outfit brushed aside Siena with ease in Tuscany to consolidate third place in the Serie A standings. Andrea Pirlo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after just seven minutes but it then became the Filippo Inzaghi show with the veteran striker scoring in each half to reach the impressive landmark of 300 career goals. Alexandre Pato also scored two - his first a stunning finish - while Massimo Maccarone was on target for the beleaguered hosts, who were guilty of wasting a number of chances late on. The Rossoneri welcomed back Ricardo Kaka but he limped off while goalkeeper Christian Abbiati picked up a serious injury.

SAMPDORIA 2-2 ROMA
Julio Baptista earned 10-man Roma a point against Sampdoria as a 2-2 draw kept them in the hunt for fourth spot and a place in the Champions League next season. Baptista put Roma in front after seven minutes, but Giampaolo Pazzini continued his excellent form to turn the game around with goals after 25 and 43 minutes. Roma lost Marco Motta to a second yellow card on the hour mark, but levelled with a penalty from Baptista with 20 minutes remaining to take a point back to the capital with them. Roma stay sixth in the standings, two behind fourth-placed Genoa.

LAZIO 0-3 CHIEVO
Lazio saw their European hopes hit hard by a Chievo side who climbed out of the drop zone on the back of their spectacular display at the Stadio Olimpico. The Rome club had come into the match on the back of three successive victories and with just four points separating them from their city rivals Roma in the sixth and final European spot. However, Chievo stunned the home crowd with goals from Erjon Bogdani and a Sergio Pellissier brace to stretch their own unbeaten run to three games. Aleksander Kolarov was also given his marching orders midway through the second half to compound a forgettable afternoon for Lazio.

REGGINA 1-1 NAPOLI
Rock-bottom Reggina slumped further into the relegation mire after a home draw against Roberto Donadoni's Napoli. Nevio Orlandi's home side, who have lost just one of their last eight league games since he took over from Bepi Pillon in January, took the lead in the first half through Bernardo Corradi. But there have been no wins in that sequence and Reggina were consigned to yet another draw when Ezequiel Lavezzi equalised for the visitors just after the hour mark. It was a cautious start for former Italy coach Donadoni, who took over as coach from the popular Edy Reja, with Napoli now without a victory in 10 games. The hosts are now six points adrift of safety.

PALERMO 5-2 LECCE
Gigi De Canio's spell in charge of Lecce got off to a nightmare start as his new team were thrashed 5-2 at the hands of Palermo. Edison Cavani's penalty gave Palermo an 11th minute lead but a Simone Tiribocchi brace either side of Fabio Simplicio's strike saw the Serie A strugglers hold their own. However, Fabrizio Miccoli put the hosts in front for the third time four minutes from half-time before Simon Kjaer and Cavani clinched the result after the break. The result reinforces Palermo's bid for a European spot as they are now four points behind Roma, who hold the last Europa League qualifying spot. Lecce are further in trouble as they are three points off safety and the same distance off bottom spot.

ATALANTA 2-0 TORINO
Torino slipped back into the relegation zone after succumbing to two Sergio Floccari goals at Atalanta. Toro were aiming to bounce back from seeing a seven-game unbeaten run ended against Juventus last time out but were powerless to prevent the home side from registering a comfortable win. Floccari put the Bergamo club ahead at the start of the second half and he added another with 18 minutes to go to settle the contest. The visitors are now two points off Serie A safety.

UDINESE 1-1 CATANIA
Udinese substitute Fabio Quagliarella's acrobatic equaliser denied Catania a second away win of the season. Quagliarella scored just four minutes after coming off the bench midway through the second half to cancel out Giuseppe Mascara's long-range opener. Indeed, all three Udinese replacements - Antonio Di Natale and Gaetano D'Agostino came on at half-time - helped turn the game, with the hosts unlucky not to be rewarded with three points for their late pressure.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 14 Mar] - [Sunday 15 Mar]