Inter joins Roma on summit
ROME: Defending champion Inter Milan moved level on points with Serie A leader AS Roma after a 3-0 home win against Sampdoria on Wednesday.
With Roma being held to a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina it and Inter were left on 11 points, with Roma retaining the lead on goal difference.
Roma, missing skipper Francesco Totti and Simone Perrotta, held the advantage until ten minutes from time when Adrian Mutu's penalty earned Fiorentina a share of the points.
The Romans were held to the same scoreline on Sunday by Juventus.
"We could have done better, but I'm satisfied with the result as it is," said roma coach Luciano Spalletti.
He added: "It was a good match, a great battle between two sides who went out to win."
Inter had Zlatan Ibrahimovic largely to thank for its points at the San Siro, the Swedish striker producing a double in the 24th and 49th minutes with Luis Figo completing a good night's work just before the hour.
Ibrahimovic leads the goalscoring list with David Trezeguet with six. Trezeguet moved up to the half dozen mark for the season when scoring in the 76th minute in Juventus' 4-0 win at Reggina.
That pushed Juve into third, one point behind the leaders.
The big surprise of Wednesday night's full league program was the 2-1 defeat imposed on European champion AC Milan by Palermo, Milan's first loss of the season.
After three consecutive draws AC Milan slipped to defeat when succumbing in the final minutes to Palermo whose Italy international Fabrizio Miccoli produced the decider in the third minute of time added on.
AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti told Sky Sport: "This loss was cruel, first because it wasn't deserved, and secondly because we were penalised (AC Milan's protests for handball in the first goal were turned down).
"This evening Milan should have won."
AFP
(China Daily 09/28/2007 page19)
