Miroslav Klose scored three minutes from time to earn Lazio a crucial 3-2 win at rock bottom Lecce yesterday and move the Roman club up to second in Serie A.

Later Inter climbed clear of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Fiorentina, who were showing some early festive generosity.

Mistakes from Cesare Natali and Manuael Pasqual handed Inter a pair of gift goals for Giampaolo Pazzini and Japan full-back Yuto Nagatomo.

At Lecce, Klose scored a brace and provided the pass for Lorik Cana to add Lazio’s other goal while David Di Michele and Stefano Ferrario netted for the hosts.

Klose’s brace took him to eight league goals this season and brought him level with Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic in third in the scoring charts.

Lazio could yet lose second place today if either Milan draw or Udinese win but this result ensured the capital-based club will remain amongst the front-runners.

Lazio coach Edy Reja paid tribute to his German forward but admitted his side had been fortunate to win.

“We know Klose’s strength and if you leave him alone for a moment in the area he’s unforgiving,” Reja told SkySport.

“Today I can say without a problem that we struggled and we were kissed by luck, Lecce deserved at least a draw.”

Lecce may have come into the game bottom of the table but they showed no hint of an inferiority complex.

From the start they were on top and they earned a penalty after Di Michele beat the offside trap and was brought down by Federico Marchetti’s rash dash from his line.

The former West Ham striker dusted himself down and dispatched the spot-kick.

Marchetti may have been at fault in giving away the penalty but he redeemed himself to a certain degree with a pair of fine saves from Luis Murial and Di Michele.

Then, out of nothing, the visitors equalised as Mobido Diakite climbed highest to win a header and Klose turned sharply to guide the ball home from close range.

Yet still it was Lecce who threatened as Murial cut inside a defender but then shot wastefully wide of the near post from 12 yards.

Lazio may have been holding on at times in the first half but they came out with a bang after the break.

Cana burst from midfield, played a one-two with Klose and then shot across Massimiliano Benassi.

But by the hour mark the hosts had levelled as Ruben Olivera swung a free-kick into the box and Murial hooked the half-cleared ball back into the danger area where Ferrario was one of four players lining up to knock the ball home.

But on 87 minutes France forward Djibril Cisse crossed from the right and Klose ghosted across his marker to flick a glancing header inside the post.

Inter welcomed back Brazilian defensive pair Lucio and Maicon for the visit of La Viola, who were missing crucial pair Riccardo Montolivo and Stevan Jovetic.

Inter took the lead four minutes from the break when Fiorentina old-boy Pazzini pounced on a mistake from Natali to flick the ball past Artur Boruc.

It seemed as if Christmas and Easter had arrived together four minutes into the second period when Pasqual’s tentative clearance hit a charging Nagatomo and went in.

That moved Inter from 16th to ninth and a victory in their game in hand away to Genoa on Tuesday could even see them move as high as sixth.

Elsewhere Genoa won 2-0 at Siena to go seventh thanks to goals from Marco Rossi and Rodrigo Palacio while Cesena won for the third time in four games as Adrian Mutu gave them a 1-0 win away to Palermo, who dropped their first home points of the season.

Serie A

Played yesterday

Lecce 2
Di Michele 12 pen; Ferrario 59;
Lazio 3
Klose 28, 87; Cana 47;

HT: 1-1. Att: 6,850.

Siena 0
Genoa 2
Rossi 57; Palacio 90;

HT: 0-0. Att: 9,190.

Inter 2
Pazzini 41; Nagatomo 49;
Fiorentina 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 39,917.

Palermo 0
Cesena 1
Mutu 64;

HT: 0-0. Att: 18,474.
Red card: Munoz (P) 65.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Juventus	13	8	5	0	24	10	29
Lazio	14	8	4	2	22	11	28
Milan	13	8	3	2	29	14	27
Udinese	13	8	3	2	16	6	27
Napoli	13	5	5	3	21	13	20
Palermo	14	6	2	6	16	16	20
Genoa	13	5	3	5	16	16	18
Cagliari	13	4	5	4	12	13	17
Inter	13	5	2	6	16	18	17
Roma	13	5	2	6	15	17	17
Catania	13	4	5	4	14	19	17
Fiorentina	14	4	4	6	13	13	16
Parma	13	5	1	7	15	20	16
Chievo	13	4	4	5	10	16	16
Atalanta (-6)	13	5	6	2	16	15	15
Siena	14	3	5	6	14	14	14
Bologna	13	4	2	7	11	18	14
Cesena	14	3	3	8	7	15	12
Novara	13	2	4	7	14	24	10
Lecce	14	2	2	10	13	26	8

Today – 15.00
Atalanta vs Catania
Bologna vs Milan
Cagliari vs Parma
Novara vs Napoli - 20.45
Udinese vs Chievo

Tomorrow – 20.45
Roma vs Juventus

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

Serie B
Ascoli 0 - Varese 0
Cittadella 3 - Reggina 2
Grosseto 1 - Modena 1
Gubbio 1 - Padova 0
Nocerina 0 - Crotone 2
Sassuolo 2 - Livorno 1
Torino 4 - Pescara 2
Verona 1 - AlbinoLeffe 0
Vicenza 1 - Empoli 0

Today – 12.30
Brescia vs Bari

Played Friday
Sampdoria 1 - Juve Stabia 1

Standings: Torino 41; Verona 37; Sassuolo 36; Pescara 33; Padova 31; Reggina 29; Varese, Grosseto 27; Sampdoria 26; Juve Stabia (-4), Cittadella 25; Vicenza, Crotone (-1); Bari (-2), Empoli 21; Livorno, AlbinoLeffe 20; Brescia 19; Modena, Gubbio 17; Nocerina 15; Ascoli (-7) 12.