Milan extended their lead to four points at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win over lowly Lecce as Juventus were held 0-0 at Genoa yesterday.

Goals from Antonio Nocerino and Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Milan a comfortable victory.

Juventus, who were facing a defensive selection crisis, drew for the fourth game in a row and sixth time in their last seven outings.

Although unbeaten, they have now drawn more than half their league matches this season.

And that is what has allowed champions Milan to not only haul them in but streak past as they bid for a second Serie A title in a row.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted nothing was decided despite their lead.

“It’s not a decisive step but it is an important one because we won while Juve didn’t,” he said.

The Rossoneri never looked in any danger of dropping points against Lecce and took the lead after just seven minutes.

Robinho chipped the ball into the box and Ibrahimovic’s back-heel flick found Nocerino, whose volleyed finish deflected off Leonardo Miglionico and beat goalkeeper Massimiliano Benassi.

Milan created plenty of shooting chances around the box but produced nothing to unduly worry Benassi.

But they moved further in front on 65 minutes as another Robinho chip into the box found Urby Emanuelson, whose cushioned header back to Ibrahimovic was lashed ruthlessly into the net.

Lecce remain third bottom and are now six points from safety following Siena’s 2-0 win at Cesena and Parma’s 1-1 draw at Atalanta.

Juventus, who refused to talk to the press after the game, may have been missing all three of their centre-backs but they showed few ill effects as they dominated in Genoa.

They had the first good chance as keeper Sebastien Frey got down well to save from Simone Pepe.

Alberto Gilardino had a pair of chances for the hosts but headed the first off target and swiped the second over the bar.

Mirko Vucinic slipped in Alessandro Matri for the visitors but Marco Rossi was across quickly to block the striker’s finish.

Juve came storming out after the break and hit the woodwork three times in the first 15 minutes of the second period.

Vucinic headed an Andrea Pirlo corner against the bar before Pirlo had a fizzing shot tipped just over.

Vucinic then headed against the outside of the post from Pepe’s cross before Pepe ran onto a Pirlo free-kick and from six yards hit a side-foot volley onto the post.

Juve finally had the ball in the net through Pepe but it was ruled out for a narrow offside.

Late on, Pirlo appeared to bring down Rossi in the box but Juventus were relieved to see nothing given.

Ballardini fired

Cagliari yesterday sacked Davide Ballardini less than four months after hiring him, taking the number of coaches fired this season in the 20-team Serie A to 15.

The final nail in his coffin was Friday night’s 6-3 thumping at Napoli that left the Sardinians one place above the relegation trapdoor.

Ballardini is the third Cagliari coach since August after Roberto Donadoni and Massimo Ficca-denti who lasted only until mid-November before being replaced by Ballardini.

Ficcadenti, who is still under contract with Cagliari, is expected to take over again, a move that is typical in Italy where coaches come and go with alarming regularity.

Serie A

Atalanta 1
Manfredini 5;
Parma 1
Paletta 55;

HT: 1-0. Att: 14,000.

Catania 1
Lodi 58 pen;
Fiorentina 0

HT: 0-0. Att: 20,000.

Cesena 0
Siena 2
Brienza 75; Bogdani 81;

HT: 0-0. Att: 15,360.
Red card: Ceccarelli (C) 73.
Missed penalty: Bogdani (S) 75.

Genoa 0
Juventus 0

Att: 28,000.

Lazio 1
Rubin 56 og;
Bologna 3
Portanova 11; Diamanti 28; Krhin 60;

HT: 0-2. Att: 25,000.
Red cards: Matuzalem (L) 43; Gonzalez (L) 59.

Milan 2
Nocerino 7; Ibrahimovic 65;
Lecce 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 54,329.

Novara 1
Jeda 16;
Udinese 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 8,000.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Milan	27	17	6	4	55	22	57
Juventus	27	13	14	0	39	17	53
Lazio	27	14	6	7	42	33	48
Napoli	27	12	10	5	50	28	46
Udinese	27	13	7	7	37	24	46
Roma	27	12	5	10	40	33	41
Inter	27	12	4	11	38	36	40
Catania	27	9	11	7	35	35	38
Bologna	27	9	8	10	29	31	35
Palermo	27	10	4	13	39	44	34
Chievo	27	9	7	11	22	33	34
Atalanta (-6)	27	9	12	6	31	29	33
Genoa	27	9	6	12	35	48	33
Siena	27	8	8	11	32	28	32
Fiorentina	27	8	8	11	27	28	32
Parma	27	7	10	10	33	42	31
Cagliari	27	7	10	10	26	35	31
Lecce	27	6	7	14	30	44	25
Novara	27	4	8	15	22	46	20
Cesena	27	4	5	18	16	42	17

Top scorers
19 goals: Ibrahimovic (Milan).
18 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
16 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
15 goals: Denis (Atalanta).

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

Serie B
Bari vs Reggina 2-1

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Benevento vs Pisa 2-0; Como vs Via-reggio 1-2; Foggia vs Foligno 2-0; Lum-ezzane vs Pavia 1-2; Monza vs Taranto 0-0; Pro Vercelli vs Tritium 2-0; Reggiana vs Carpi 1-1; Sorrento vs Spal 1-1; Ter-nana vs Avellino 2-1.

Leading standings: Ternana 56; Taranto 49; Pro Vercelli 47; Carpi 44; Sorrento 43; Benevento 41; Lumezzane, Foggia 36.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Andria vs Lanciano 0-1; Bassano vs FeralpiSalo 1-2; Cremonese vs Prato 0-0; Latina vs Frosinone 2-0; Spezia vs Carrarese 1-1; SudTirol vs Siracusa 0-0; Trapani vs Barletta 1-1; Triestina vs Portogruaro 1-0.

Leading standings: Trapani 50; Siracusa 44; Spezia 42; Cremonese, Lanciano 39; Carrarese, Pergocrema 38; Barletta 37.