MILAN - Palermo pulled off a
surprise 2-0 victory at AC Milan on Sunday to join Inter Milan at the top of
Serie A.
Champions Inter were held to a goalless draw at Udinese while third-placed AS
Roma drew 1-1 at home to Chievo Verona.
Inter and Palermo have 15 points, with Roma on 13. Milan, who began the
season with an eight-point penalty following match-fixing allegations, are in
the lower half of the table on four points after their first defeat of the
campaign.
Palermo's fifth win from seven games came after Australian Mark Bresciano
gave them the lead at the San Siro four minutes after the break.
Attacking midfielder Bresciano raced on to a through ball from Aimo Diana and
beat Brazilian keeper Dida with a precise drive.
Milan then hit the woodwork twice, Kaka striking the post and Andrea Pirlo
kept out by the crossbar, before the Sicilians struck again.
Bresciano's fierce drive was saved by Dida and Fabio Simplicio headed the
ball to Brazilian compatriot Amauri to tap home in the 74th minute.
Milan surged forward but all they could manage was a header by Alberto
Gilardino which was ruled out for a foul on Palermo defender Cristian Zaccardo.
Inter, handed last season's title by a sports tribunal, were unable to find a
way through Udinese.
Roberto Mancini, Inter's coach, left out Brazilian striker Adriano who has
been given time off to help recover his form.
Despite sparkling performances by Alvaro Recoba and Julio Ricardo Cruz in the
midweek Champions League win over Spartak Moscow, Mancini handed Zlatan
Ibrahimovic and Hernan Crespo starting roles in attack.
After a low-key first-half, Inter had the better of the game with Ibrahimovic
twice forcing good saves out of Udinese keeper Morgan De Sanctis.
Udinese's Italy international striker Vicenzo Iaquinta wasted the best
chance, screwing the ball wide from a promising position.
"We played very well after the break, we just lacked a goal," Mancini told
reporters.
Coach Luigi Del Neri, back on the Chievo bench after returning to the club in
midweek, will have taken satisfaction from holding his former charges Roma at
the Olympic stadium.
After Francesco Totti had an early effort ruled out for offside, Chievo's
Sergio Pellisier exposed a lack of pace in the Roma defence.
He burst through the middle before rounding keeper Doni and slotting home
five minutes before the break.
Totti equalised from close range after the Chievo defence failed to clear a
66th-minute corner.
Both sides later had goals ruled out.
Daniele De Rossi hit the bar for Roma and although Christian Panucci put the
rebound in the net he was ruled offside.
Chievo's Simone Tiribocchi also had a delightful lob disallowed.
