Inter close in on Juve with 4-0 win

Inter trimmed Juventus's lead in Serie A to eight points with a 4-0 win over Reggina yesterday.

The result left Inter in second place in the division with 35 points from 16 matches after Juventus drew 1-1 with Lazio on Saturday.

Inter's city rivals Milan moved up one place to third on 34 points after a 4-0 win over Messina.

Fiorentina dropped to fourth with 33 after being held 1-1 by Tuscan neighbours Empoli.

Inter players arrived full of confidence after their 3-2 derby win over Milan and wasted little time in sweeping Reggina aside.

The game was less than two minutes old when Reggina keeper Nicola Pavarini blocked a free-kick by midfielder Dejan Stankovic, only for Ivan Cordoba to pounce on the loose ball.

Inter's Brazilian striker Adriano and Stankovic had chances to extend the visitors' lead before Obafemi Martins headed their second from a Luis Figo cross in the 15th minute.

Figo created Inter's third just before half-time, scattering Reggina's defence with a fine solo run before slipping the ball to Adriano to fire a precise left-footed shot past Pavarini.

Reggina enjoyed more possession after the interval, but Inter midfielder David Pizarro wrapped up the result with a goal on the break in stoppage time.

At the San Siro stadium Milan initially struggled against Messina until an Andriy Shevchenko penalty - awarded for a dubious Matthew Olorunleke foul on Alberto Gilardino - gave them the lead midway through the first half.

Milan lifted their game after the goal, but Messina almost poached an equaliser when home keeper Dida fumbled in front of Riccardo Zampagna.

Two minutes after the restart Kaka backheeled into the path of Shevchenko, who finished clinically past Marco Storari to make it 2-0. Andrea Pirlo's free-kick seven minutes from time and a late Gilardino strike killed off Messina.

Fiorentina endured a frustrating afternoon against Empoli. The pressure was all one-way in the first half, with Luca Toni and Stefano Fiore both going close to giving the twice-Italian champions the lead.

Fiorentina finally got the goal they deserved in the 70th minute when a Toni shot rebounded off the post into the path of Giampaolo Pazzini, who forced the ball over the line with his knee.

Their hard-won advantage evaporated three minutes later when Sergio Almiron's long-range effort took a deflection and ended up at the feet of Ighli Vannucchi, who fired in from close range.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Livorno consolidated fifth place on 31 points by racking up their third win in a row with a 2-0 victory at Palermo.

Last season's fourth-placed finishers, Udinese, suffered their third consecutive defeat, going down 2-0 against Chievo.

In yesterday's late match, Sampdoria and Roma took a point each after a 1-1 draw.

Serie A

Cagliari 2
Ascoli 1

Chievo 2
Udinese 0

Empoli 1
Fiorentina 1

Milan 4
Messina 0

Palermo 0
Livorno 2

Reggina 0
Inter 4

Sampdoria 1
Roma 1

Siena 2
Parma 2

Played on Saturday

Treviso 2
Lecce 1

Lazio 1
Juventus 1

Top Scorers

16 goals Toni (Fiorentina)
14 goals Trezeguet (Juventus)
goals Tavano (Empoli), Bonazzoli (Sampdoria), Adriano (Inter), Chiesa (Siena), Gilardino (Milan)
8 goals Suazo (Cagliari), Lucarelli (Livorno), Shevchenko (Milan)

Next Fixtures

Wednesday: 8.30 p.m. Ascoli vs Treviso; Fiorentina vs Palermo; Inter vs Empoli; Juventus vs Siena; Lecce vs Lazio; Livorno vs Milan; Messina vs Reggina; Parma vs Cagliari; Roma vs Chievo; Udinese vs Sampdoria.

Serie C1(A)

Cittadella vs Genoa 1-1
Lumezzane vs Pro Sesto 2-1
Monza vs Fermana 1-1
Novara vs Ravenna 0-1
Pavia vs Pizzighettone 1-1

Salernitana vs San Marino 0-0
Samb. vs Giulianova 0-0
Spezia vs Padova 1-0
Teramo vs Pro Patria 1-0
Standings: Genoa 30; Spezia 29; Pavia, Teramo 27; Padova 25; Pizzighettone 23; Monza 22; Cittadella, Giulianova, Lumezzane, Pro Sesto 20; Salernitana 19; Novara, Pro Patria, Sambenedettese 18; Ravenna, San Marino 15; Fermana 6.

Serie C1(B)

Foggia vs Massese 3-0
Frosinone vs Napoli 1-3
Grosseto vs Manfredonia 0-0
Juve Stabia vs Pistoiese 0-0
Lanciano vs Lucchese postponed

Martina vs Chieti 3-2
Perugia vs Acireale 2-1
Pisa vs Gela 3-1
Sangiovannese vs Torres 2-4
Standings: Napoli 32; Sangiovannese 28; Frosinone 27; Perugia 26; Grosseto 25; Gela 24; Torres 23; Lanciano 22; Manfredonia, Martina 20; Foggia, Lucchese, Pisa 19; Acireale, Massese 18; Juve Stabia 14; Chieti 12; Pistoiese 10.