Inter tops AC Milan for sixth straight win
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Welcome back, Inter Milan.
Diego Milito scored early in the second half, leading Inter Milan to a 1-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday in Serie A.
Inter won its sixth straight league match, and for the eighth time in its last nine, as it surged to within six points of first-place Juventus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 2010 European champions had just two victories and only eight points after their first nine league games, but the 2-2-5 start is history now.
Especially after a win in the Milan derby.
Although Inter Milan created just a single shot on goal in the first half, and Ricardo Alvarez was unable to beat goalkeeper Christian Abbiati from the right side of the area, AC Milan failed to take advantage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}AC Milan, which had won 11 straight, had the majority of the possession in the opening 45 minutes, but Mark van Bommel's blast off the crossbar just ahead of stoppage time was the lone great scoring chance.
Less than 10 minutes after half, 2010 Champions League final hero Milito added another memorable goal to his career haul. AC Milan's Ignazio Abate misplayed the ball, and Milito made no mistake to the bottom-right corner.
Milito, who scored both goals in the 2010 Champions League final 2-0 win over Bayern Munich, has seven goals this season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Unbeaten Juventus escaped the weekend with the league lead, with AC Milan just one point back. And Inter, which was near the bottom just nine matches ago, is now within striking distance in fifth.
Lazio 2, Atalanta 0
Rome, Italy - Lazio rebounded from its humiliating loss to Siena last weekend by cruising to a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hernanes gave the home side the lead with a penalty kick in the 20th minute. Stefano Lucchini made proceedings much more difficult for Atalanta as he was handed a second yellow card in the 53rd minute. It proved to be too tall of a task as Miroslav Klose tacked on a goal in stoppage time to put the result beyond any doubt.
Lazio improves to 33 points on the year, good enough for fourth place in Serie A, while Atalanta drops its second-straight result as it sits just five points above the relegation zone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Genoa, Italy - Genoa persevered through Marco Rossi's sending off in the second half to edge third-place Udinese 3-2 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday.
Damiano Ferronetti gave the visitors a halftime lead with his goal in the 14th minute, but Genoa responded in the second half with goals from Andreas Granqvist, Bosko Jankovic and Rodrigo Palacio before Rossi was dismissed. Antonio Di Natale pulled a goal back from the penalty spot with 15 minutes left to play, but it failed to spark a comeback.
It was just the third loss of the Serie A season for Udinese, but it still sits in third place behind AC Milan and Juventus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cesena 3, Novara 1
Cesena, Italy - Cesena snapped a three-game losing skid in league play Sunday, toppling Novara, 3-1, at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi behind a brace from Adrian Mutu.
Mutu scored twice in the first to hand Cesean the win, getting off the mark in the 20th minute before adding one more from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. An own goal from Leandro Rinaudo just before halftime extended Cesena's lead, but it was canceled out by Takayuki Morimoto's late strike.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cesena (15 points) and Novara (12 points) are both still in the relegation zone.
Parma 3, Siena 1
Parma, Italy - Parma made an impressive start under new manager Roberto Donadoni, defeating Siena, 3-1, at the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jonathan Biabiany and Francesco Valiani gave the home side the advantage with goals in the 24th and 66th minutes, respectively. Paolo Grossi notched a goal for Siena in the 79th minute, but Parma dealt with the late pressure by grabbing a stoppage-time goal through Sebastian Giovinco.
The win puts a stop to Parma's six-game winless run and lifts the team to 22 points on the year, while Siena remains just clear of the relegation zone on 18 points.
Juventus 1, Cagliari 1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turin, Italy - Juventus maintained its unbeaten Serie A season by playing to a 1-1 draw with Cagliari at Juventus Stadium on Sunday.
Mirko Vucinic helped the home side get off to a good start as the Montenegrin striker found the back of the net inside the opening seven minutes. But Cagliari answered on the opposite side of halftime with Andrea Cossu leveling for the visitors three minutes into the second period.
Juventus has not lost in the Italian league thus far, is still neck-and-neck with Milan at the top of the table due to its eight draws in 18 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chievo 1, Palermo 0
Verona, Italy - Paolo Sammarco notched the lone goal for Chievo in a 1-0 win over Palermo on Sunday, finding the back of the net in the 50th minute.
The win helps Chievo climb into the top-half of the table, moving into ninth place with 23 points on the year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Palermo is winless in its last six Serie A contests as it sits just six points above the relegation zone.
Lecce 1, Fiorentina 0
Florence, Italy - Lecce pulled off a shock win on the road Sunday, defeating Fiorentina, 1-0, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi to snap a seven-game winless slide.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}David Di Michele scored the lone goal of the game, converting from the penalty spot in the 66th minute.
Lecce is now tied with Novara for last place in the league, but Lecce holds the edge with a better goal differential.