Serie A round-up

Viola up to fifth, Inter seven clear at top and Siena draw with Lazio

By Elliot Ball   Last updated: 1st November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Serie A round-up

Gilardino seals Viola success

Click below for individual match facts
Caglari 3 Atlanta 0
Chievo 1 Udinese 1
Fiorentina 3 Catania 1
Livorno 0 Inter 2
Roma 2 Bologna 1
Sampdoria 0 Bari 0
Siena 1 Lazio 1
Palermo L Genoa L

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Fiorentina and Cagliari were the big movers in Sunday's Serie A action, while Inter extended their lead at the top to seven points.

UEFA Champions League side Fiorentina managed to close in on the top-four after a disappointing start to the league as they enjoyed a 3-1 success at home to Catania.

Italian midfielder Marco Marchionni gave the Viola the lead after four minutes which lasted until Catania levelled things up just after half-time.

First, Fiorentina found themselves down to 10 men a minute before the interval when Dario Dainelli's deliberate hand-ball saw him given his marching orders for a second yellow.

Then, three minutes following the re-start Giuseppe Mascara gave the away fans reason to up the volume when he scored the equaliser.

But the game soon become 10 against 10 when the visitors had Ciro Capuano sent off in the 58th minute for the defender's second bookable offence.

The hosts then regained the lead when Marchionni scored his second of the day on 68 minutes before Alberto Gilardino wrapped up the three points with the third four minutes from time to see them rise four places into fifth.

Inter Milan took advantage of Juventus' slip-up on Saturday to Champions League-chasing Napoli as they beat Livorno 2-0 in their own back yard.

The game was goalless at the break, but after Inter boss Jose Mourinho got his teeth into his team at the interval, the champions came out and secured maximum points with goals from South American duo Maicon and Diego Milito.

Inter's lead at the top is now seven points after Sampdoria dropped two points to 10th-placed Bari.

Luigi Del Neri's side boast the second-best home record in the league, but they lacked the necessary firepower to claim the spoils at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris as they played out a 0-0 draw.

Cagliari moved into the top half of the table after a resounding 3-0 win over struggling Atalanta.

All the goals came in the first half, with a quick-fire double by striker Anderson Miguel Nene preceeded by Alessandro Matri's penalty right on half-time to see the Rossoblu go eighth.

Chievo and Udinese played out a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

The visitors took the lead on 28 minutes when striker Antonio Floro Flores finished from a tight angle, but they were to be denied the win 19 minutes from time as defender Mario Yepes popped up with the equaliser.

The Italian capital clubs have struggled so far this season and the Rome pair enjoyed different fortunes this weekend.

Roma, only playing their third game in the shared ground - the Stadio Olimpico - made home advantage count against homesick Bologna.

Goals from striker Mirko Vucinic (35) and midfielder Simone Perrotta saw Adailton's 32nd-minute opener count for nothing for the visiting team who have still to win away this term.

Lazio, meanwhile, failed to take three points on their travels as they could only draw 1-1 with basement boys Siena after former Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone first-half strike cancelled out Stefano Mauri's eighth-minute opener.

Finally, Parma and Genoa played out a 0-0 draw at Renzo Barbera and remain in the top half of the league table.