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Internazionale exploited a defeat by Juventus and Milan's draw with Genoa to go six points clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win at Catania.

Catania 0 Internazionale 2

Inter cruised six points clear of the chasing pack after going ahead in the fifth minute, when Dejan Stankovic sprinted into the box to head in a Julio Cruz cross.

Inter had to resist intense pressure after Sulley Muntari's 32nd-minute red card for a challenge on Giacomo Tedesco and Catania's Giuseppe Mascara hit the post on the hour.

But Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Inter a cushion in the 71st by latching on to a long ball, chipping oncoming keeper Albano Bizarri and slotting in.

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Roma 1 Palermo 1

Captain Francesco Totti, returning from over a month out with a thigh muscle injury, put Roma ahead with a shot that took a big deflection on the way into the net in the 24th minute.

Edison Cavani equalised in the 31st before Matteo Brighi headed in just before halftime to give the hosts their fourth consecutive league win.

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Atalanta 0 Bologna 1

Bologna claimed the spoils with a late Sergio Volpi free-kick that was misjudged by Atalanta keeper Ferdinando Coppola.

Atalanta's Sergio Floccari hit the crossbar at the start of the second half.

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Cagliari 1 Siena 0

Robert Acquafresca scored from close range in the 37th minute to give the Sardinian side their third consecutive win.

Siena took the offensive after falling behind and were a little unlucky not to get a draw.

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Chievo 1 Lecce 1

Giuseppe Vives's powerful 56th-minute strike put Lecce ahead shortly after Chievo defender Davide Mandelli was sent off for a second yellow card.

A late goal by Andrea Mantovani deservedly gave the home team a point after Lecce's Fabiano also went for a second yellow.

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Fiorentina 2 Napoli 1

Mario Alberto Santana put Fiorentina in front at the start of the second half after a Massimo Gobbi free-kick but Napoli levelled almost immediately, with keeper Sebastien Frey bundling in a cross-shot by Luigi Vitale.

Riccardo Montolivo's right footed effort in the 79th minute gave Fiorentina a taste of victory after three straight defeats. Napoli's Francesco Montervino was sent off in stoppage time for handball.

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Sampdoria 3 Lazio 1

Sampdoria's Gennaro Delvecchio took advantage of some lax marking to touch in a freekick in the 13th minute Tommaso Rocchi controlled a long ball and fired Lazio level on the half hour but Samp were back on top soon after the break.

Antonio Cassano dribbled past two defenders before curling a shot into the corner in the 51st and then floated in a corner for the unmarked Marius Stankevicius to head the hosts 3-1 up.

Lazio keeper Fernando Muslera saved a Claudio Bellocci penalty before the game drew to a bad tempered close.

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Torino 0 Reggina 0

Torino substitute Blerim Dzemaili came closest to breaking the deadlock between the strugglers when he struck the post in the second half.

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Udinese 2 Juventus 1

Fabio Quagliarella slipped the ball past Gianluigi Buffon on 20 minutes after a break down the left by his strike partner Antonio Di Natale.

Di Natale doubled the lead in the 74th by curling the ball home after a strong run, as Udinese claimed their first league win since October.

Former Udinese forward Vincenzo Iaquinta, in for injured captain Alessandro Del Piero, pulled one back for Juve with a penalty in the 77th.

Reuters