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Inter Milan beats Lazio to restore 10-point lead

INTER Milan scored twice in the second half yesterday to beat Lazio 2-0 and move a step closer to a fourth straight Serie A title.

The win extends Inter's lead to 10 points over second-place AC Milan, which can cut it back to seven with a win against Catania today.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sulley Muntari scored in an unconvincing performance by the defending champion, but the win will calm Inter supporters' fears that their side was about to blow a big lead late in the season for a second straight year.

Inter has 77 points, with Milan on 67 and Juventus third with 65. Four more rounds remain after this weekend.

After a lackluster first half, Inter coach Jose Mourinho introduced former Lazio striker Hernan Crespo to give his side more life.

"We spoke in the changing rooms at halftime about what problems we had in the first half and we resolved them," Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said. "We needed to win the ball more and use it better. We were patient and managed to score the necessary goals."

Inter began the match with Ibrahimovic alone in attack, but he was often isolated and Lazio was the more threatening in the opening 45 minutes. Lazio striker Mauro Zarate had the best chance of the first half, when he forced Inter keeper Julio Cesar to push his long-range shot over the bar.

But Crespo provided Ibrahimovic with an attacking partner to play off, the Sweden striker was able to cut past defender David Rozenhal in the 58th and fired a shot past keeper Fernando Muslera to give Inter the lead.

Ibrahimovic also created the second goal in the 70th, when he poked the ball through the Lazio defense and Muntari ran onto the ball and slipped it past Muslera.

Also yesterday, last-place Reggina gave itself some hope of survival by beating fellow strugglers Bologna 2-1. Franco Brienza and Edgar Barreto scored for the visitors, while Vangelis Moras gave Bologna a late consolation goal.



 

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