Milan handed Juventus the advantage in the Serie A title race as they lost 2-0 at Lazio last night, with Inter held to a draw in an eight-goal thriller against Palermo.

Milan trail Juve by a point at the top but the Old Lady of Turin have a game in hand after their match at Parma on Tuesday night was called off due to snow.

Third-placed Udinese closed the gap to the leaders to three points with a 2-1 win at home to Lecce while fourth-placed Lazio are now just two points behind that.

It was a game of little action and few chances in the capital but Milan came closest to scoring in a tight first period.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent over a whipped cross that found Antonio Nocerino breaking from deep but his header from 12 yards was brilliantly saved by Federico Marchetti.

Milan opened up their hosts when young forward Stephan El Shaarawy played a one-two with Ibrahimovic but was then perhaps guilty of being too honest as he took the ball around goalkeeper Marchetti.

There was definite contact but the teenager tried to stay on his feet, was forced wide and then saw his shot from an angle blocked.

But 14 minutes from time Tommaso Rocchi’s clever dummy put Hernanes in and he hooked his shot across the Milan goalkeeper.

Hernanes could have put the match to bed after that but his shot from the edge of the box whizzed just past the post.

But Rocchi then made the points safe five minutes from time as he clipped home a cross from Senad Lulic.

Diego Milito scored all four Inter goals at the San Siro but Fabrizio Miccoli bagged a hat-trick for the visitors to earn a point.

On a snow-covered pitch, Palermo took the lead when Miccoli’s corner somehow found its way to the back post where Andrea Mantovani slid in to poke home two yards out.

But a deep ball into the box from Maicon caused havoc in the Palermo backline and the ball fell to Milito to shoot home.

Miccoli restored Palermo’s lead with a left-foot shot but Ezequiel Munoz then brought down Yuto Nagatomo in the box and Milito despatched the resulting penalty.

Milito shot home from six yards to put Inter in front for the first time just past the hour mark.

But Federico Balzaretti’s driven cross from the left was met with a diving header by Miccoli, who nipped in front of Nagatomo to restore parity again.

Milito again put the hosts in front with his fourth from close range as Giampaolo Pazzini’s scuffed effort from Javier Zanetti’s cross fell kindly to him.

But Josip Ilicic slipped in Miccoli to complete his treble with a cross-shot that beat Julio Cesar.

Serie A

Atalanta p
Genoa p

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Bologna p
Fiorentina p

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Cagliari 4
Ribeiro 6, 49; Pinilla 41; Ekdal 90;
Roma 2
Juan 13; Borini 34;

Inter 4
Milito 22, 55 pen; Milito 61, 69;
Palermo 4
Mantovani 17; Miccoli 52, 66, 85;

Lazio 2
Hernanes 77; Rocchi 85;
Milan 0

Napoli 0
Cesena 0

Siena p
Catania p

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Udinese 2
Pazienza 2; Di Natale 37;
Lecce 1
Di Michele 26;

Playing today
Novara vs Chievo - 20.45

Standings

Top scorers
15 goals: Ibrahimovic (Milan), Di Natale (Udinese).
12 goals: Milito (Inter), Denis (Atalanta), Cavani (Napoli), Klose (Lazio).
11 goals: Palacio (Genoa), Jovetic (Fiorentina).

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