Inter stretch lead as Roma pay penalty

Torino´s Sasa Bjelanovic vies for the ball with AS Roma´s Philippe Mexes (L) during their Seria A match in Turin. Plucky Roma clung on to a 0-0 draw at Torino by the skin of their teeth but it was a result that has still hit their Serie A title hopes.

      ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points on Sunday after a comfortable 2-0 win at rock-bottom Cagliari while second-placed Roma were held to a 0-0 draw at Torino. Second-half goals from Latin American pair Julio Cruz and David Suazo allowed Inter to cruise to victory, despite top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic being unavailable through suspension. Inter's Romania centre-back Christian Chivu hit the bar with a long range drive on 35 minutes and after the break the visitors took control. Argentine Cruz opened the scoring on 57 minutes with a low shot from outside the area and Honduran Suazo bundled the ball home from close range 11 minutes from time. After the match Cruz looked ahead to next weekend's crucial Milan derby against new Club World Cup winners AC Milan. "The derby is a special match. Their cup victory won't count for anything, nor will the fact that we are top of Serie A," he told Sky Sport. "I hope it will be a great match. We know we're playing well and taking advantage by pulling away. Today we did that and we hope to continue doing so." Plucky Roma clung on to a 0-0 draw in a game that Torino bossed from start to finish and which they should have won. Despite their lucky escape, Roma were incensed that the referee did not award them a late penalty when Macedonia striker Mirko Vucinic went down in the box. Simone Perrotta allegedly tried to confront the referee in the tunnel after the match but had to be held back by security staff. "Footballers work hard and it's an emotional game, sometimes you can understand certain reactions when you see what happened before them," said Roma coach Luciano Spalletti. "You should talk about this in relation to something else that was as clear as daylight," he added of the penalty claim. Roma at least moved back above Juventus into second place having briefly lost that on goal difference following Juve's 3-2 win at Lazio on Saturday. Torino were always in control and Italian international forward Simone Barone had the first gilt-edged chance on 28 minutes but flicked his near post shot wide with only Brazilian goalkeeper Doni to beat. Six minutes from half-time Torino let Roma off yet again as two more Italian internationals, David Di Michele and Alessandro Rosina got in each other's way and contrived between them to slam the ball wide from six yards with a gaping goal to aim at. Croatian Sasa Bjelanovic twice went close for the hosts after the break before late on Vucinic went down under a challenge, although television replays were unclear as to whether or not a penalty was deserved. Fiorentina's miserable form continued as they failed to win for the fifth game in a row following an entertaining 2-2 draw at Sampdoria. Daniele Gastaldello gave the hosts the lead after pouncing on a rebound when goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli failed to hold Antonio Cassano's shot. Fiorentina equalised through Romania forward Adrian Mutu and substitute Marco Donadel gave them the lead after the break before Cassano restored parity. Fiorentina stay fifth with Palermo just one place below them following a 3-1 win at Atalanta. Alessandro Del Piero scored a brace of second-half breakaway goals to fire Juventus to victory at the Stadio Olympico. Lazio should have won but Del Piero's goals and a brilliant performance from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stole the match for Juve. France forward David Trezeguet put Juve in front six minutes before the break but Lazio produced the move of the match to equalise, with Tommaso Rocchi's flicked header releasing Massimo Mutarelli to cross for Serbian forward Goran Pandev to head home. Del Piero twice beat the offside trap before finishing clinically with his left foot and then Pandev headed home a consolation goal deep into injury time.