Internazionale were typically efficient as they overcame Livorno 2-0 at the Stadio Armando Picchi to stretch their lead to seven points at the top of Serie A.

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Diego Milito's clinical finish in the 49th minute set Jose Mourinho's side on their way after a drab first half left the Portugese boss seething with his players' application.

Maicon's marauding run and composed finish in the 80th minute doubled Inter's lead as the champions clinched their fifth successive league win to overcome their stubborn hosts.

Livorno came into the match buoyed after two wins in a week, while Inter knew that they could add to their cushion ahead of second-placed Juventus in the table.

For much of the first half the hosts looked well set to find their first victory over Inter for 62 years with some enterprising play while Mourinho's side laboured.

But Inter were rejuvenated after the break with Esteban Cambiasso - who replaced the injured Sulley Muntari - and Samuel Eto'o making the desired impact.

The visitors capped a convincing second-half display with a flurry of attacks at the death but the damage had already been done for Livorno who remain down in 18th place.

Palermo and Genoa shared a turgid 0-0 draw as both sides cancelled each other out in their Serie A match at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

The stalemate was a pretty drab affair with neither team able to breach two obdurate defences with clear-cut chances very scarce.

Palermo captain Fabrizio Miccoli was presented with perhaps the best opportunity to break the deadlock in the 16th minute when he latched on to Javier Pastore's through ball and rounded Alessio Scarpi in the Genoa goal, but saw his tame shot deflected wide.

At the other end, Salvatore Sirigu produced a superb reflex double save to deny first Raffaele Palladino, then Socratis Papaststhopoulos from close range.

The second half lacked invention or inspiration and petered out poorly with five substitutions failing to ignite it as Genoa and Palermo assume seventh and 10th places in the Serie A table respectively.