Roma close gap on Inter

MILAN: AS Roma moved to within four points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan after a 2-0 home win over Catania yesterday.

Inter can re-establish their seven-point advantage with half the season gone if they beat Parma at the San Siro in yesterday's late game.

Late winner: AC Milan's Alberto Gilardino celebrates his injury-time goal in the 1-0 win over Udine yesterday. - AP

Second-placed Roma's win came courtesy of Ludovic Giuly's eighth-minute strike and Daniele De Rossi blasting home a second-half penalty in the absence of flu victim Francesco Totti.

Three Catania fans were injured before kick-off after being stabbed in disturbances, media reported.

Third-placed Juventus could only draw 0-0 with Sampdoria while AC Milan substitute Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to give the European champions a 1-0 win at fifth-placed Udinese, who lost fourth spot to Fiorentina on Saturday when the Florence side beat Torino 2-1 at home.

Milan, in ninth, have their eyes on fourth place after enduring a difficult first half of the campaign where they failed to win at home in the league until last weekend's 5-2 victory against Napoli.

Carlo Ancelotti again fielded a Brazilian front three at Udinese with Ronaldo hitting the post in the first half and teenager Pato combining well with Kaka to slip in Italy's Gilardino for the winner.

Milan have three games in hand with the first coming at Atalanta on Wednesday.

Juventus, nine adrift of Inter, had plenty of the opportunities at home to Sampdoria but were foiled because of wasteful finishing, dogged defending and some bad luck.

Marco Marchionni missed an open goal early on while David Trezeguet had a double effort cleared off the line with television replays being inconclusive about whether the second chance had gone in.

“It is difficult to decide with this image,” Juve boss Claudio Ranieri told Sky television when showed a replay. “Sampdoria defended with order and we tried everything.”

The visitors, without in-form striker Antonio Cassano because of injury, were largely pinned in their own half but did strike the post through Christian Maggio's header on half-time.

In other games, Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik opened the scoring and netted an stoppage-time equaliser in Napoli's 2-2 home draw with Lazio, who eliminated their hosts from the Italian Cup on Thursday.

Strugglers Siena triumphed 3-2 at Palermo in another thrilling match while Livorno beat Empoli 1-0 and Reggina won 2-0 at home to basement side Cagliari, who are now six points adrift. – Reuters