Lazio open up daylight at top ahead of derby

Lazio earned a hard-fought 1-0 win at Palermo yesterday to open up a four-point lead at the top of Serie A ahead of next weekend’s Rome derby.

Brazilian centre-back Andre Dias scored the only goal of the game with a somewhat fortunate volley to condemn the lacklustre Sicilians to defeat and dent their own Champions League aspirations.

Lazio lead champions Inter by four points with Milan a single point further back in third.

Inter won 1-0 at Genoa on Friday night while Milan were downed 2-1 at home by fourth-placed Juventus on Saturday.

After this latest victory, Lazio’s seventh in nine games this season, it would be hard to argue that they are not genuine title contenders.

But coach Edy Reja still insisted their primary aim would be to avoid relegation. “We have 22 points, we’re getting great results and we have character and fight and we know how to suffer, like we did today,” he said.

“We’ll keep going and let’s say we still need another 18 points for that famous 40 (point safety mark).

“After that, we’ll see. We’re showing conviction and determination. The only thing that displeased me today was the state of the pitch which wasn’t great, in fact it was awful.

“But that’s fine, we won, we did really well to limit (Javier) Pastore because when he gets between the lines he’s unplayable.”

It was also the perfect preparation for next weekend’s derby against Roma, who beat Lecce 2-0 on Saturday but had captain Francesco Totti dismissed, meaning he will miss the Lazio game.

Although Palermo played some pretty football, they lacked cutting instinct in the first half.

A mistake by Giuseppe Biava handed Josip Ilicic the ball just outside the area, he fed Pastore but the Argentine’s finish was weak.

The hosts created several other shooting opportunities from distance but never troubled Fernando Muslera.

The only chance of real note in the first period fell to Lazio, who duly took the lead.

Christian Ledesma swung a free-kick over from the right and Dias lost his marker Cesare Bovo before shinning a volley into the top corner to give Salvatore Sirigu no chance in the Palermo goal.

There was more of the same slow-paced action in the second half until the 65th minute when finally the hosts seriously threatened.

Mauricio Pinilla hit an acrobatic volley goalwards that Muslera saved one-handed before Stefan Radu charged down Pastore’s follow-up.

But still they failed to put sustained pressure on their opponents and Lazio’s Mauro Zarate knocked a free-kick over the wall but Sirigu was well placed to save.

Biava then received his marching orders for a second booking and Lazio were forced to try and hold on.

Eight minutes from time substitute Massimo Maccarone met a Pastore cross with his head but couldn’t direct the ball either side of Muslera.

Palermo’s attacks started to get frantic in the final five minutes with Muslera tipping a Pinilla header onto the bar and then parrying a near post shot from Mattia Cassani.

In other games, Napoli and Sampdoria both earned crucial 1-0 away victories –at Brescia and Cesena respectively – to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Serie A

Bari 0
Udinese 2
Sanchez 16; Isla 60;

HT: 0-1. Att: 16,000.
Missed penalty: Barreto (B) 51.

Brescia 0
Napoli 1
Lavezzi 77;

HT: 0-0. Att: 5,000.

Catania 0
Fiorentina 0

Att: 14,000.

Cagliari 2
Nene 51; Nainggolan 78;
Bologna 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 10,000.

Cesena 0
Sampdoria 1
Pazzini 90;

HT: 0-0. Att: 14,884.

Palermo 0
Lazio 1
Dias 27;

HT: 0-1. Att: 29,539.
Red card: Biava (L) 77.

Parma 0
Chievo 0

Att: 13,647.
Red cards: Dzemaili (P) 51; Fernandes (C) 84.

Top scorers
7 goals: Eto’o (Inter).
6 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
5 goals: Di Vaio (Bologna); Matri (Cagliari).
4 goals: Pellissier (Chievo), Ibrahimovic (Milan), Pato (Milan), Quagliarella (Juventus), Pastore, Ilicic (Palermo), Cassano (Sampdoria).

Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Bologna vs Lecce. 20.45 Inter vs Brescia.
Sunday: 12.30 Fiorentina vs Chievo. 15.00 Bari vs Milan; Juventus vs Cesena; Lazio vs Roma; Napoli vs Parma; Sampdoria vs Catania; Udinese vs Cagliari. 20.45 Palermo vs Genoa.