Inter join Lazio in third after easy win over Catania

Rome: Inter Milan rejoined Lazio in third place in Serie A on Sunday with a 2-0 win over a Catania squad that threatened to draw until the final five minutes. Antonio Cassano opened the scoring in the 28th minute at the San Siro by easily heading in a pass from Esteban Cambiasso, and Rodrigo Palacio secured the win with an expert chest control and volley in the 85th.

Sergio Almiron, Mariano Izco and the rest of Catania's Argentine-accented squad had several chances, but Inter's talented strike trio of Cassano, Palacio and Diego Milito proved too much to handle. Cassano has five goals since transferring from city rival AC Milan on the eve of the season, and continues to impress despite being left off Italy's national team squad recently.

Inter and Lazio each trail leaders Juventus by four points, with second-place Napoli just one point ahead in second following a 2-0 loss at Juventus on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Lazio beat struggling AC Milan 3-2. Fiorentina are fifth, 10 points back, after a 1-1 draw at Chievo Verona.

Cyril Thereau gave Chievo the lead in the 17th and Gonzalo Rodriguez equalised for Fiorentina a minute later. Also, Fiorentina striker Luca Toni hit the post at the end of the first half. The Tuscan squad is yet to win away.

Elsewhere, Parma beat 10-man Sampdoria with two goals from Brazilian-born forward Amauri, Palermo and Torino drew 0-0 and 10-man Udinese edged promoted Pescara with a 53rd-minute goal from Brazilian midfielder Maicosuel, whose missed "Panenka" penalty kick cost Udinese a spot in the Champions League a couple of months ago.

Also, Atalanta celebrated their 105th anniversary with a 2-1 comeback win over last-place Siena, with goals from Luca Cigarini and Giacomo Bonaventura.

Earlier in the lunchtime fixture, Cagliari beat Bologna 1-0 to move out of the relegation zone. Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan scored on the hour mark by finishing off a counterattack with a shot from the edge of the area.

The best visiting Bologna could produce was a header off the post from Alberto Gilardino in the first half and a dangerous effort from Alessandro Diamanti in the 78th that Cagliari goalkeeper Michael Agazzi stopped with a reflex save.