Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of the Serie A table to nine points, for a day at least, after a crucial 2-1 victory at Siena on Saturday.
Brazilian full-back Maicon was the hero with both goals, either side of an equaliser from Moroccan Houssine Kharja, as the reigning three-time champions won for the eighth league match in a row. Inter have not dropped points since October. They will take a lead of between six and nine points into the three-week winter break, depending on how Juventus fare on Sunday at Atalanta.
The visitors took the lead on 34 minutes. Before that only Zlatan Ibrahimovic had struck at goal in anger but his free-kick skidded well wide. But soon after the half hour mark Siena's defenders were punished for ball-watching at a corner. Mario Balotelli sent over a pea-roller of a cross and Maicon managed to steal in and poke the ball home from inside the six-yard box despite being surrounded by several Siena defenders.
Siena did not let their heads drop and equalised a minute before the break as Cristiano Del Grosso crossed from the left. Kharja threw himself full length in front of Maxwell to nod home from close range. Inter came out after the break with more purpose and Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari curled an effort just wide of the upright. On 58 minutes Ibrahimovic came within inches of giving Inter the lead as he crashed a shot against the cross-bar.
Siena were dangerous too. Substitute Massimo Maccarone should have done better with his close-range header than send it high over the bar. The hosts were made to pay for that miss as Maicon grabbed the winner seven minutes from time. Centre-back Ivan Cordoba tried his luck from distance but his shot took a deflection and landed at the feet of Maxwell, who released his Brazilian compatriot with a clever flick, leaving Maicon to apply a chipped finish over Gianluca Curci. Siena could have come away with something but poor finishing cost them again as Abdulkader Ghezzal skied his left-foot shot from six yards.
Meanwhile, Lazio won for the first time since November 9 in a 1-0 success over Palermo to move up to sixth. The early season leaders had gone five matches without a win but overcame their Sicilian opponents thanks to a strike from club captain Tommaso Rocchi, who nipped in front of his marker to clip home Frenchman Mourad Meghni's near post cross. fifa
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