AC Milan rejoined Juventus at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win over Roma in Rome on Sunday for the reigning champions’ eighth consecutive league victory and their 10th in all competitions.
After a goalless first half, Hernan Crespo put Milan ahead with a superb header before winning a penalty that Andrea Pirlo converted.
AC Milan and Juventus both have 66 points with just nine games of the season left to play.
Juventus, who along with Milan are through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, beat Reggina 1-0 on Saturday in Turin, where Alessandro Del Piero scored the only goal.
Roma, who had Christian Panucci and Francesco Totti sent off, fell one place to eighth by virtue of a poorer goal difference than Bologna.
Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf said his team were able to overcome a stubborn Roma side by raising the game’s tempo after the break.
”We were much quicker going forward and we put them under much more pressure,” said the Dutch midfielder. ”The first half we didn’t play to our potential, but in the second we always had the conviction that we could open the game up.”
Milan broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute at the Olympic Stadium.
Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze crossed from the left to the back post, where Crespo outjumped Panucci and planted a firm header wide of Roma goalkeeper Giancarlo Curci.
Roma fell further behind eight minutes later when Panucci blocked Crespo’s goal-bound header with his hand to concede a penalty. Panucci was shown the red card and Pirlo coolly slotted the spot kick into the top corner.
Totti also saw red in stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Earlier on Sunday, Inter Milan defeated Fiorentina 3-2 at the San Siro to strengthen their position in third place.
All of Inter’s goals were scored by South Americans. Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso gave them the lead with a right-footed volley, before Giampaolo Pazzini equalised for the visitors with an acrobatic scissor kick.
Argentinian Juan Sebastian Veron restored Inter’s advantage with a rasping right-footed drive eight minutes after the break, before Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba headed the home side’s third goal.
Cordoba then put through his own net three minutes from time to give Inter a few anxious moments before the final whistle.
Inter’s win was soured by a right knee injury to Adriano. The Brazilian striker, who scored a hat-trick in Tuesday’s Champions League win against Porto that took Inter through to the last eight, was carried off in the 43rd minute after colliding heavily with Enzo Maresca, although early reports said the injury was not serious.
Inter have 50 points from their 29 matches played, two more than Udinese, who won 2-1 at home to Lecce. Sampdoria fell one place to fifth after losing 2-1 at home to bottom club Atalanta.
Livorno threw away a 2-0 lead in their 3-3 draw with Cagliari, while Parma also shared six goals at home to Palermo.
Sergio Pellissier scored twice as Chievo improved their chances of surviving relegation with a 3-1 home win over fellow strugglers Brescia, while Messina drew 0-0 at home to Bologna.
Siena boosted their hopes of surviving the drop with a battling 1-0 home victory over Lazio on Saturday, the Tuscan club’s first win since February 20.
Croatian central defender Igor Tudor, who is on loan from Juventus until the end of the season, grabbed the winner on the hour, heading Enrico Chiesa’s corner into the net via the crossbar. — Sapa-AFP