Milanese draw, Juve seven clear

A review of the weekend's action in Italy's Serie A, with a derby draw and Juventus going seven points clear at the top.

Last Updated: 24/02/13 at 23:24 Post Comment    Bet with SkyBet  Italian Serie A. Click here to bet.

Sebastian Giovinco added Juve's second

Sebastian Giovinco added Juve's second

A review of the weekend's action in Italy's Serie A.

Ezequiel Schelotto's second-half equaliser salvaged a point for Inter Milan in the derby as AC Milan had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The Serie A stalemate will be seen as little help to either club's hopes of gaining a Champions League place for next season, and gives Lazio the chance to take third place when they face second-bottom Pescara on Monday.

AC Milan, for whom Mario Balotelli was a threat in attack, stand third for now, a point ahead of Lazio and Inter.

Stephan El Shaarawy scored the opener for Milan with a dipping left-footed drive in the 21st minute. But substitute Schelotto made an impact off the bench, heading in after 72 minutes to ensure Inter would not finish empty-handed.

Earlier, Juventus extended their lead at the top to seven points thanks to a 3-0 win over Siena, although the visitors made a game of it at the Juventus Stadium.

Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sebastian Giovinco gave the Bianconeri a two-goal advantage, but Siena hit the woodwork twice as they made Juve work hard for their win.

Paul Pogba then ended Siena's hopes with a third goal in the dying stages.

Roma defied the weather to beat a spirited Atalanta 4-3 and claim back-to-back Serie A victories for the first time in 2013.

Sunday's game at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia was hours away from being called off as a heavy band of snow refused to leave Bergamo, but on-loan Inter Milan striker Marko Livaja ensured there would be a contest with his rapid opening goal.

Marquinho pegged Atalanta back before Miralem Pjanic turned the game on its head with an exquisite free-kick, only for Livaja to complete his brace heading into half-time.

Vasilis Torosidis waited for the snow to clear to head the winner and Atalanta promptly unravelled as Matteo Contini saw red following an unseemly scrap with Simone Perrotta.

Daniele Conti scored the winner deep into stoppage time as Cagliari beat nine-man Torino 4-3 in one of the most dramatic games of the Serie A season - inside an empty stadium.

The Sardinian club were barred from hosting fans at the Stadio Is Arenas due to ongoing safety concerns and local supporters were urged to stay at home and follow the game on television.

Any avid watchers would have to wait until midway through the first half before Marco Sau gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot following a careless foul from Angelo Ogbonna.

The second half, though, was played at breakneck speed as the lead changed hands three times thanks to quickfire goals between Alessio Cerci, Alen Stefanovic, Conti, Mauricio Pinilla and Rolando Bianchi.

Torino eventually lost both the hapless Ogbonna and his defensive replacement Abou Diop to red cards and Conti duly exploited the space to drive in a scintillating winner from distance, just seconds before the final whistle.

Catania survived a late onslaught and the dismissal of Nicola Legrottaglie to continue their march towards Europe with a 2-1 victory at Parma on Sunday.

The Sicilians knew that three points from the Stadio Ennio Tardini would give them a share of sixth place with Fiorentina, whose game at Bologna was postponed, and first-half goals from Francesco Lodi and Keko were enough to see them through.

Parma, who are now without a win in seven, regrouped after the break but failed to make half-a-dozen solid chances on goal count until Amauri finally forced a consolation goal with time running out.

Sampdoria moved clear of Chievo and effectively clear of any relegation fears thanks to a 2-0 win at a snowy Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa.

Andrea Poli gave the home side the lead in the 33rd minute before the sleet turned to snow, and Eder struck the second with seven minutes remaining.

Chievo's attempts to find an equaliser throughout the second half were thwarted as they were left just eight points above the danger zone.

On Saturday, Genoa held Palermo to a goalless draw at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Palermo needed well over an hour to get warmed up and, just as their engines were roaring into life, they lost Salvatore Aronica to a red card, effectively ending their hopes of picking up more than a point.

Genoa proved once again how difficult they are to break down since former Palermo boss Davide Ballardini took over, and they will treasure a point that gives them a five-point cushion over the bottom three.


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