Milan pull away as Juve’s Krasic downs Lazio

Milan are starting to escape from the pack after winning for the 10th time in 12 league games in yesterday’s 3-0 success at Bologna.

The Rossoneri went six points clear at the top of Serie A as goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic eased them to a comfortable victory.

Lazio were unable to trim the gap back to three points in the evening match. Edy Reja’s team went down 2-1 to Juventus who moved joint second on 30 points with Lazio and Napoli.

Milan’s latest win was down to the same three players who hit the net in last week’s 3-0 defeat of Brescia as they are proving to be increasingly ruthless in despatching so-called smaller teams.

Ibrahimovic said the 12.30 kick-off had presented a new challenge.

“We won 3-0, it was a hard game, it’s the first time we’ve played at midday, it wasn’t easy but we won,” he said.

With Ghana midfielder Boateng playing in the holding role between midfield and attack, Milan were totally dominant.

Bologna had the first chance with a speculative effort from distance from Gaston Ramirez that Christian Abbiati tipped around the post.

Thereafter it was all Milan and they went ahead on nine minutes as Ibrahimovic hit an inswinging cross from the left and Boateng burst into the box between two defenders to stretch out his right leg and prod the ball home from six yards.

The second came on 35 minutes as Robinho shot between goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano’s legs after a Boateng flick slipped him in on goal.

It could have been worse for Bologna as Robinho then played in Ibrahimovic who also shot between Viviano’s legs but this time the ball clipped one of them.

Then, deep into injury time, inexplicable hesitancy in the Bologna defence allowed Gianluca Zambrotta to win the ball in the box and fire a shot off the crossbar.

Viviano came to his side’s rescue from an Ibrahimovic shot just after the restart but then Abbiati almost gifted Bologna a goal.

The shot-stopper ran out wide to prevent a corner but was then dispossessed outside his box before he could clear his lines but Ramirez’s snap-shot hit the side-netting.

The game was over on the hour mark as Andrea Pirlo’s inch-perfect pass picked out Ibrahimovic and the big Swede did the rest.

There was still time for Milan to concede what was incredibly the first penalty against them this season, although it was generous to say the least as Marco di Vaio flung himself to the ground after the slightest contact with Clarence Seedorf.

Justice was done though as Abbiati plunged to his right to stop Di Vaio’s spot-kick.

In Turin, Giorgio Chiellini put Juve ahead with a header from a corner early on but Lazio pulled level on 14 minutes when Mauro Zarate hit home following a goalmouth melee.

In a fast-flowing first half, Alberto Aquilani was unlucky to see his effort hit the bar for Juve as the hosts held control but were unable to pierce Lazio’s defence.

Milos Krasic was unlucky with a shot from inside the Lazio box and Vincenzo Iaquinta’s tap-in was blocked in the last minute by defender Giuseppe Biava.

The pattern did not change much after the break but deep into stoppage time Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who was superb in keeping out an Alessandro del Piero free-kick a minute earlier, conceded Juve’s winner when Krasic’s cross-shot hit his arm on its way.

Roma closed in on the Champions League places and moved up to sixth as they beat rock-bottom Bari 1-0 at home courtesy of a goal from Brazil centre-back Juan.

Down the bottom, Brescia won for the first time in 12 games as they beat Sampdoria 1-0 at home.

Serie A

Bologna 0
Milan 3
Boateng 9; Robinho 35; Ibrahimovic 60

HT: 0-2. Att: 24,915.
Missed penalty: Di Vaio (B) 78.

Brescia 1
Cordova 13;
Sampdoria 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 5,500.

Cagliari 3
Nene 11, 27, 71;
Catania 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 8,000.
Red cards: Martinho (CT) 53; Morimoto (CT) 76.

Juventus 2
Chiellini 2; Krasic 90;
Lazio 1
Zarate 14;

HT: 1-1. Att: 22,000.

Lecce 3
Ofere 16; Piatti 45, 69;
Chievo 2
Bogliacino 55; Mandelli 90;

HT: 2-0. Att: 5,800.

Roma 1
Juan 30;
Bari 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 25,000.
Missed penalty: Totti (R) 20.

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

Top scorers
10 goals: Di Natale (Udinese)
9 goals: Eto’o (Inter); Ibrahimovic (Milan), Cavani (Napoli), Di Vaio (Bologna)
8 goals: Matri (Cagliari); Quagliarella (Juventus)