Serie A - Week 36: Sunday Review

Treble-chasing Inter powered back to the Serie A summit with a 2-0 win at Lazio which was bizarrely celebrated by both sets of fans. Juventus suffered the biggest embarrassment of a terrible season when their slim Champions League hopes were finally extinguished, with that battle now between Sampdoria and Palermo. At the other end, Siena are down and Atalanta are on the brink.

Lazio 0-2 Inter
Inter scored either side of half-time to claim a deserved 2-0 victory over Lazio and climb back into first place in Serie A. Walter Samuel put Inter ahead on the stroke of half-time after the Nerazzurri had wasted a hatful of chances to take an earlier lead. Thiago Motta doubled Inter's lead with 20 minutes remaining as Jose Mourinho's side held on to move one step closer to their fifth straight Scudetto. Victory allowed Inter to go two points clear of Lazio's city rivals Roma, who won on Saturday at Parma, with two games remaining. A section of Lazio fans cheered both of Inter's goals as they damaged Roma's title chances. The defeat, however, has left Lazio in 16th place and just five points clear of the drop zone.

Sampdoria 2-0 Livorno
Sampdoria maintained their two-point lead in the race for the Champions League qualifying place with a comfortable 2-0 home win over relegated Livorno. Antonio Cassano fired Samp into a fifth-minute lead and while they were comfortable throughout the points were not sealed until Reto Ziegler's rocket strike six minutes from the end. It ensured the hosts kept their advantage for fourth-place after nearest rivals Palermo won. With Samp travelling to Sicily next Sunday to take on Palermo, unbeaten at home this season, that match looms as a potentially decisive encounter in the race for fourth spot.

Siena 1-2 Palermo
Palermo remained in the hunt for Champions League football thanks to a 2-1 victory that confirmed Siena's relegation. Goals from Edison Cavani and Fabrizio Miccoli in either half put the visitors in control, and Siena could not find a way back despite Emanuele Calaio's 80th-minute strike. The win left Palermo two points behind fourth-placed Sampdoria, who they take on at home in next weekend's penultimate game of the season. Even a victory for Siena would not have been enough to preserve their top-flight status as Bologna picked up a positive result elsewhere.

Catania 1-1 Juventus
Catania survived a second-half onslaught as they held Juventus to a 1-1 draw that saw the Turin giants' slim Champions League hopes come to an end. The home side took the lead in the first half through Matias Silvestre and denied the visitors with a spirited defensive display after the break. Claudio Marchisio brought the sides level in the second half but the visitors could not make their dominance pay and they almost suffered a late blow when Maxi Lopez saw his effort kept out by Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The result means Juve, who are eight points behind fourth-placed Sampdoria with two matches left, drop down to 7th place in the standings - a position that still assures them of a Europa League qualifying berth next term as both Coppa Italia finalists Inter and Roma have already qualified for the Champions League.

Chievo 1-2 Napoli
Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi struck late to seal a 2-1 win over Chievo in Verona that lifts his team into sixth place in Serie A, confirming Europa League football next season. German Denis had put Napoli ahead on the stroke of half-time but Chievo striker Pablo Granoche levelled the score after 75 minutes. Lavezzi ensured the visitors took all three points firing home a free-kick four minutes from time to move Walter Mazzarri's side above Juventus in the standings. Chievo, who drop to 12th place, ended the game with 10 men after defender Santiago Morero was sent off for a second booking two minutes from time.

Atalanta 1-1 Bologna
A late own goal sent Atalanta closer to relegation as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Bologna. Tiberio Guarente gave the Bergamaschi, who missed a 15th-minute penalty from Jaime Valdes, real hope. The referee then awarded Bologna a penalty on the stroke of half time and dismissed Maximiliano Pellegrino for protesting, only to reverse the penalty decision because the ball had been out of play. However, Federico Peluso put the ball into his own net with eight minutes remaining to leave Bortolo Mutti's side on the brink of relegation. Atalanta remain five points adrift of Bologna, and 16th-placed Lazio with just two games left.

Cagliari 2-2 Udinese
Cagliari and Udinese drew 2-2 on the day their places in Serie A were confirmed for another season. Andrea Lazzari gave Cagliari the lead but two goals in as many minutes, from Antonio Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez, turned things around in the visitors' favour by the half-hour mark. However, Jeda's equaliser before the hour mark kept the Sardinian side above Udinese, denying the visitors only a second away success of the season.

Bari 3-0 Genoa
Genoa's slender hopes of qualifying for Europe next season were ended by Bari as they were thrashed 3-0 at the Stadio San Nicla to fall six points behind the top seven with two games remaining. A goal from Riccardo Meggiorini on the hour mark put the home side ahead and two goals in the last five minutes from Jose Castillo and Paulo Barreto earned the Apulian side all three points to take them just two points behind Genoa in the Serie A table. Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini was also sent off on yet another miserable afternoon for the Ligurians.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 1 May] - [Sunday 2 May]