Rome: AC Milan overtook Lazio for the Serie A lead with a 3-1 win over Palermo on Wednesday but lost Alexandre Pato and Filippo Inzaghi to injury with the derby against Inter Milan coming up next.
It's the first time Milan has had the sole lead since November 2008.
"We're going into the derby with a healthy dose of self-esteem," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said, looking ahead to Sunday's match.
Pato put Milan ahead in the 19th minute at the San Siro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic restored the lead with a penalty in the 77th and Robinho came off the bench to add the third goal in the 83rd.
Pato exited grasping his right thigh in the 65th and was replaced by Inzaghi, who appeared to twist his left knee in the 80th.
Lazio allowed a score from Marco Parolo in the 85th minute and lost 1-0 at Cesena, its second consecutive defeat after losing to AS Roma in Sunday's derby.
Milan has 23 points, Lazio is next with 22, Napoli has 21, while five-time defending champion Inter dropped to fourth with 20 after a 1-1 draw at Lecce, which equalised through Ruben Olivera in the 79th after Diego Milito had put the injury-plagued European champion in front eight minutes earlier.
After Milito scored, he had the bench toss him one of Walter Samuel's jerseys, dedicating the goal to his fellow Argentine, who will likely miss the rest of the season after damaging ligaments in his knee during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brescia.
Inter was also without playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who was diagnosed with anemia after fainting at halftime of the Brescia match, which also included an injury to right back Maicon.
Milito started on the bench but replaced Goran Pandev to start the second half. He hit the post three minutes before his goal.
Olivera headed in the equaliser following a corner, with Inter's reserve goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi immobile.
"We lacked some luck," said Inter manager Rafa Benitez. "Now we've got to do well in the derby and turn things around."
Napoli won 1-0 at Cagliari with a last-second goal from Ezequiel Lavezzi, while Juventus drew 1-1 at Brescia, with Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Diamanti trading goals over a span of two minutes midway through the second half.
Juventus is fifth with 19 points and resurgent Roma moved into sixth following a 3-2 win over Fiorentina. Fabio Simplicio, Marco Borriello and Simone Perrotta scored for Roma, while Alberto Gilardino and Gaetano D'Agostino found the net for Fiorentina.
Two days after hiring Davide Ballardini as its new coach, Genoa beat Bologna 1-0 with an 81st-minute goal from Omar Milanetto and Maxi Lopez scored as Catania defeated Udinese 1-0. Also, Chievo Verona and Bari played a 0-0 draw.
In Milan, Pato scored with a well executed header following a corner kick from Clarence Seedorf and Palermo argued for a penalty when Kevin-Prince Boateng appeared to block a free kick from Fabrizio Miccoli with his arm in the 56th.
The Sicilian club then equalised in the 63rd with a long, bouncing shot from Armin Bacinovic, with Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati's vision blocked by his defenders. But Milan was awarded a controversial penalty kick in the 76th, apparently for a foul on Massimo Ambrosini and Ibrahimovic converted the spot kick.
Robinho scored from Ibrahimovic's cross after coming on for Inzaghi.
In Cesena, Parolo had one of the night's most spectacular goals, finding the top corner from 35 meters (yards) with a shot that Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera could only get his fingertips on.
Pasquale Foggia hit the crossbar for Lazio in the 37th.
Comments
0 comment