Inter go six clear as city rivals stumble

EUROPEAN SOCCER: SERIE A: Inter Milan ended up six points clear at the top last night after the reigning Italian champions beat Napoli 2-1 and rivals AC Milan were humbled 3-1 at mid-table Palermo.

Striker Fabrizio Miccoli fired in a superb goal on 50 minutes before Edinson Cavani and Simplicio sealed Palermo's victory with Ronaldinho, who had a spot-kick saved at 0-0, netting a late penalty for the shell-shocked visitors.

Earlier in the day, Inter went 2-0 up through Ivan Cordoba and Sulley Muntari but were forced to hang on after Ezequiel Lavezzi pulled one back on 36 minutes.

Jose Mourinho's side lost 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos in the Champions League in midweek but continue to grind out results in Serie A despite their inconsistency.

"At 1-0 the game seemed over as we were playing so well but you can never say that in football," Mourinho said. "In the second half I don't remember them having a real chance."

Inter have 33 points from 14 games with Milan on 27 alongside Juventus, who hammered lowly Reggina 4-0 in a snowy Turin on Saturday.

Last season's runners-up AS Roma, who had a terrible start, recorded a third straight league win after Francesco Totti netted in the second half to seal a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina.

PRIMERA LIGA: Villarreal and Valencia gave chase to leaders Barcelona with victories in the Primera Liga yesterday.

Villarreal climbed to second place on 28 points, four short of Barcelona, with a 2-1 win at bottom club Recreativo Huelva, and Valencia slotted in behind them on 27 with a 3-2 home win over Real Betis.

Barcelona were 3-0 victors at Sevilla on Saturday, when champions Real Madrid fell 3-1 at Getafe. Bernd Schuster's ailing side slipped to fourth with 26 points.

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o got a typical poacher's goal after 20 minutes of a pulsating encounter at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Lionel Messi was closely marshalled until the 79th minute, when he raced on to a long ball and volleyed past Andres Palop.

The Argentinian forward got on to another long ball for his second goal in the final minute.

Champions Real were trailing from the third minute, when Jaime Gavilan's cross was met by a powerful header from Uruguayan forward Juan Albin.

Two minutes after the restart Albin surprised Iker Casillas by scoring at his near post.

Guti laid the ball on for Javier Saviola to pull a goal back in the 55th minute but Albin squared for Ikechukwu Uche on the counter in the 82nd minute to end the visitors' hopes of a comeback.