Inter Close Gap On Chievo As Roma, Juve Are Held
MILAN, Nov 4 (AFP) - Another cruel injury to Ronaldo took the gloss off a 2-0 Inter Milan win against Lecce which lifted Hector Cuper's side to within two points of surprise Italian first division leaders Chievo here Sunday.
Inter were full value for their win and took full advantage of Chievo's 0-0 draw with Venezia on Saturday night, goals from Mohamed Kallon and Luigi Di Biagio securing the points at the San Siro.
Champions AS Roma missed out on a share of second spot when they were held 1-1 by Atalanta at Bergamo but AC Milan will join Inter later Sunday if they beat Torino in the evening match. Juventus, meanwhile, needed an injury-time goal from David Trezeguet to salvage a 2-2 draw against Chievo's city neighbours Verona.
Inter's win was bitter sweet.
The San Siro was silenced as the Brazilian striker hobbled off after 13 minutes with an injured left thigh but found their voice again later in the first half when Sierra Leonian forward Kallon powered home a header from a cross by Slovak defender Vratislav Gresko, netting his sixth goal of the Serie A campaign.
Minutes later Gresko was again the provider with midfielder Di Biagio heading the second.
Inter coach Hector Cuper, who said Ronaldo's injury was not a serious one, said: "We are back where we need to be but we have to watch Roma, Milan and of course Chievo are still there."
Atalanta provided sterner opposition for Roma. A free-kick from Brazilian midfielder Assuncao gave the Italian champions the advantage but Cristiano Doni, called up by Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni in midweek, equalised from the penalty spot for a 1-1 draw.
Roma coach Fabio Capello said: "It was a tough match and Atalanta played very well but this was not the result we were looking for."
Juventus needed all their resources to salvage a 2-2 comeback draw at Verona.
Goals from Leonardo Colucci and Argentinian Mauro Camoranesi helped Verona to a 2-0 lead but Croatian Igor Tudor started the comeback before Frenchman Trezeguet saved the Turin giants, still winless in six Serie A matches and six points off the pace.
"It is important we learn to start games well as well as finish them well," said Juve coach Marcello Lippi.
Verona coach Alberto Malesani, with an eye on the forthcoming city derby with Chievo, said: "I am angry because we deserved better but we have an opportunity to get some consolation soon."
Beleaguered Lazio banished memories of their exit from the Champions League with a convincing 5-0 home victory over Brescia with Argentinian forward Hernan Crespo bagging a hat-trick.
Crespo gave them an early lead, a long overdue first of the season for the Argentinian who was Serie A's top scorer with 26 goals last season.
Crespo quickly added a second and then Simone Inzaghi also got off the mark for the season. Yugoslav Dejan Stankovic made it four after the break before Crespo completed his treble. Brescia defender Daniele Bonera was then sent off.
"The players are finally playing to the level they are paid to perform at," said Lazio coach Alberto Zaccheroni.
The match between Bologna and Fiorentina got off to a thrilling start. Twice Salvatore Fresi put Bologna ahead only for Maurizio Ganz and then Paolo Vanoli to equalise for the cash-strapped outfit from Tuscany.
When Lamberto Zauli put Bologna 3-2 ahead still only 32 minutes had elapsed.
Early in the second-half Fiorentina midfielder Mirko Benin was sent off, an incident which will result in a ban, further stretching the personnel problems of coach Roberto Mancini. Argentinian Julio Cruz missed a penalty but Bologna triumphed 3-2 to go third.
Udinese's beleaguered English coach Roy Hodgson was given a lift when his side won 2-1 at Piacenza.
One of Hodgson's most vociferous critics David Di Michele opened the scoring.
Dario Hubner hit back from the penalty spot for Piacenza, his eighth of the season putting him level with Brescia's Roberto Baggio as top scorer in the division but Udinese's Roberto Muzzi restored the visitors' lead with a penalty, his seventh goal of the campaign.
Parma's Italian international forward Marco Di Vaio gave his side a morale-boosting 2-1 win at home to Perugia. Di Vaio opened the scoring before Greek forward Zisis Vryzas hit back for the visitors. But Di Vaio repeated his feat to give caretaker manager Pietro Carmignani an important win.
Chievo's 0-0 draw at bottom club Venezia was their most disappointing of the season so far with the Verona-based club failing to make much headway at Venice against the only winless club left in the division.
Chievo coach Luigi del Neri said he hope the result would be a lesson in humility to his men, saying: "Chievo must only try to be Chievo. We are a district team who have done some incredible things but our objective is only to avoid relegation."
