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Juventus, Inter and Milan win at Serie A
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-22 09:09
ROME, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Serie A leaders Juventus maintained their
eight-point cushion at the top of the division with a 2-0 win over Siena on
Wednesday.
Alessandro Del
Piero (L) challenges Siena's goalkeeper Antonio Mirante during their
Italian Serie A soccer match at the Delle Alpi stadium in Turin, northern
Italy, December 21, 2005. [Reuters] | The Italian
champions now have 46 points from 17 matches.
Inter Milan remained their closest challenger on 38 points after racking up a
sixth consecutive Serie A victory by crushing Empoli 4-1.
AC Milan, one point further back in third, also enjoyed an impressive 3-0 win
at Livorno. It was the Tuscan side's first home defeat of the season.
Fiorentina completed a clean sweep for the division's top four clubs with an
edgy 1-0 win over Palermo to rise to 36 points.
Having looked unusually vulnerable during a 1-1 draw against Lazio on
Saturday, Juventus's players were keen to stamp their authority on the
championship.
Fabio Cannavaro gave them the ideal start, heading in from a corner in the
13th minute.
Juve continued to dominate possession, though Siena created a few chances of
their own, the best of which came just before halftime when former Juve defender
Igor Tudor narrowly failed to connect with a dangerous-looking cross in front of
goal.
David Trezeguet wrapped up the win nine minutes after the restart when he ran
on to a Mauro Camoranesi chip, rounded the keeper and finished into an empty
net.
The goal was the French striker's 15th in as many appearances this season. He
has scored in his last nine games.
Juve's win also guaranteed them the title of "winter champions", awarded to
the team who lead Serie A at the midway point of the season, with two games in
hand.
At the San Siro Inter Milan showed the same killer instincts that helped put
four goals past Reggina at the weekend, going ahead after just four minutes when
Empoli keeper parried an Esteban Cambiasso shot into the path of Adriano, who
was left with an easy close-range finish.
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