Internazionale continued to establish their title credentials with a 2-0 win at Fiorentina in Serie A while Roma laboured to a 2-1 home win over nine-man Udinese.

The results keep Inter top on 34 points, three ahead of Roma who stretch their lead over third-placed Juventus to five points. Fiorentina stay fifth with Udinese one place above.

First half goals from Luis Jiminez and Julio Cruz put Inter into a 2-0 half-time break in a comfortable win that should have been a thrashing, new France cap Sebastien Frey repeatedly frustrating Zlatan Ibrahimovic with some excellent goalkeeping.

All three goals in Roma's win, meanwhile, also came before the break in a frantic opening half hour that saw Juan poke home on 11 minutes, Fabio Quagliarella equalise almost immediately and Rodrigo Taddei - returning from injury - score what proved to be the winner a quarter of an hour later.

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Fiorentina 0-2 Inter

In their first match since coach Cesare Prandelli's wife tragically died of cancer, Fiorentina were unlucky to have gone in two down at the break, Cruz's strike coming just before half-time and effectively destroying their confidence going into the dressing room. Inter then dominated the second 45, one double save by Frey from Ibrahimovic particularly impressive.

Zdravko Kuzmanovic went close for the hosts early on with a header over the bar after good work by Marco Donadel, but the visitors and reigning champions took the lead when Ibrahimovic cleverly found Jimenez on the right, the on-loan Chile man hammering an unstoppable drive past Frey into the bottom left.

The hosts tried to hit back, Adrian Mutu in good form and finding the similarly impressive Franco Semioli soon afterwards but the Italy international midfielder kicked air and found four Inter shirts diving onto him as he tried to take a second bite of the cherry. Julio Cesar then made a good diving stop from Giampaolo Pazzini as Fiorentina looked for a leveller, while Frey made his first excellent stop from Ibrahimovic after Jimenez tried to repay the Swede for his earlier assist. Frey was called into action one more, this time by Maxwell after Jimenez again found room on the left, although the Brazilian really should have squared it to the well-placed Cruz.

And Inter doubled their lead on 44 minutes after Ibrahimovic slide a perfect ball through to Cruz who drilled the finish low past Frey into the bottom right corner.

Prandelli tried to shake things up at the break - bringing Christian Vieri and Martin Jorgensen on - but with veteran hitman Vieri dragging a volley wide on 53 minutes they could not make a quick breakthrough and Inter killed the game before pushing for more goals. Ibrahimovic was found by Cruz on the left and, a statuesque home defence watching on, fired in a first-time left-foot drive that Frey's one-handed stop could only put back at his right, which then drew a parry from the ex-Inter keeper.

Soon afterwards Frey did the same again, Maicon getting forward to play it to Jimenez, whose flick-on found Ibrahimovic who could only offer congratulations to Frey on seeing his vicious half-volley saved in style.

Fiorentina went close in injury time through Semioli and Vieri but were denied by Julio Cesar and the linesman's flag, but there was only one winner as Inter continued their march for a consecutive Scudetto.

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Roma 2-1 Udinese

Roma were by far the better side against Udinese and, despite missing captain top scorer Francesco Totti through injury, will be concerned that the margin of victory was no greater than the 2-1 result that flattered their guests somewhat.

Taddei almost opened the scoring in the second minute when he teased a good stop from Samir Handanovic, while Juan went close on nine minutes with a header across goal following a short corner routine. Roma took the lead soon afterwards, Juan scoring from close range at the second attempt after an inventive corner from Mirko Vucinic allowed Ludovic Giuly to fire a low drive from the edge of the box that the Brazil defender diverted against the Udinese keeper.

But the visitors responded with immediate effect, a wonderful turn and finish from 20 yards out by Quagliarella, who was found by a good Pepe through ball.

It was pretty much all Roma from thereon in, Daniele De Rossi sending a header inches over before Taddei put the hosts ahead again with a deflected shot after Giuly's cross had been blocked.

The second half saw more of the same, with Taddei, Vucinic and Mancini all going close, Vucinic in particular almost the scorer of a superbly improvised goal when he slid the ball inches wide of the far post despite being placed almost at the right-hand corner flag following Slovenia shot-stopper Handanovic's mad rush out of goal.

The match was effectively ended as a contest with 12 minutes remaining when sub Giampiero Pinzi was shown a straight red card for a poor tackle on Juan, the loyal Bianconeri servant followed down the tunnel by Italy midfielder Andrea Dossena, who was given his marching orders for over-protesting the decision. Vucinic should have made it 3-1 late on, opting to round Handanovic instead of shooting when he created a one-on-one out of nothing, the delay in pulling the trigger allowing the save.

Reda Maher / Eurosport