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Monday, 11 April 2011

Seedorf, Pato score to keep AC Milan at top

Serie A leaders AC Milan kept surprise package Napoli at bay with Clarence Seedorf and Pato on target to beat Fiorentina 2- 1 in a late Sunday match in Florence.





With six games left, the Devils stayed three points clear of the Naples side, who won 2-0 earlier Sunday at Bologna, while title holders Inter Milan beat Chievo 2-0 on Saturday.

Inter were leapfrogged last weekend by Napoli after losing 3-0 to Milan and also crashed 5-2 mid-week at home against German side Schalke in a Champions League tie.

At the Artemio Franchi, Dutch veteran Seedorf had an early firm shot saved but beat Artur Boruc with a lob on eight minutes as Brazilian Pato set him up in the box with a header.

Pato graced the Polish custodian on 11 minutes, allowing him to block his close-range effort, and stunned him four minutes from half- time off a right-flank feed from Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The Brazilian drew level on 14 goals with the returning Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who missed two good chances early in the second half and was dismissed for insulting a referee with four minutes left, after Peruvian Juan Vargas pulled one back for the Purples.

Earlier in Bologna, Giuseppe Mascara, filling in for the suspended Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, put Napoli ahead on the half hour, and Slovak Marek Hamsik converted from the spot before half-time.

Rome side Lazio clinched an important 2-0 home win over Parma to leapfrog Udinese into fourth place and occupy the last available Champions League berth.

Relegation-threatened Cesena rallied to a 2-2 draw at Palermo despite the dismissal of Steve von Bergen on 2-0, and Brescia remained in the three-team drop zone after a 1-1 draw at Cagliari, with Brazilian Eder dismissed in injury time.

Lecce moved four points clear of trouble with a 2-1 win at troubled Sampdoria, whose Daniele Mannini was sent off in the second half, and bottom side Bari drew 1-1 with Catania.

Earlier Sunday, Luca Toni came off the bench to score a late winner for beleaguered giants Juventus in a pulsating 3-2 win against his former side Genoa.

The veteran striker had the better of Dario Dainelli to find the net with a lob past Portuguese Eduardo and had his say in Juve's second equalizer scored by Alessandro Matri.

Juve remained two points behind sixth-place Roma, who held onto the last of two Europa League berths after stunning Udinese 2-1 late Saturday with a brace from captain Francesco Totti. 

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