Stefano Blin
January 28, 2007

ROME (AFP) – Inter Milan maintained their 11-point lead at the top of Serie A and extended their record run of consecutive league wins to 14 matches with a 2-0 victory at 10-man Sampdoria.

But the game was marred by Inter's Italian international defender Marco Materazzi once again being the victim of a headbutt.

Materazzi was the man infamously butted by French superstar Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final last year.

On Sunday, it was Sampdoria's Gennaro Delvecchio who was the guilty party and he was sent off in the seventh minute for the assault.

Angered by a late challenge on Inter keeper Julio Cesar, Materazzi exchanged angry words with Delvecchio before the Sampdoria midfielder's head hit him squarely on the chin.

Earlier Sunday, Roma had trimmed Inter's advantage to eight points after their scrappy 1-0 home win over Siena.

But Inter rose to the challenge set by their closest rivals, defeating Sampdoria in Genoa for the second time in four days with goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Maicon to move closer to retaining their title.

The champions beat Sampdoria 3-0 in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final on Thursday.

Inter made their numerical supremacy count on Sunday in the 37th minute when Brazilian wingback Maicon crossed from the right and Ibrahimovic planted a firm header past Luca Castellazzi for his 10th goal of the season.

Ibrahimovic then returned the favour, crossing from the right for Maicon to prod home Inter's second goal in the 75th minute.

Roma kept their faint title hopes alive by edging Siena at the Olympic stadium where Mirko Vucinic's first goal for the club secured the three points.

Roma's win left them in second place on 46 points, seven clear of Palermo who went down 3-0 at home to Lazio on Saturday.

Catania are tied for fourth place with Lazio on 30 points after their 1-1 draw at Atalanta, while Empoli's goalless draw at Chievo left them joint fifth on 29 points with Udinese, who beat Torino 3-2 on Saturday.

AC Milan, struggling to cope with an eight-point penalty for their role in the Serie A match-fixing scandal, had veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi to thank for their unconvincing 1-0 home win against Parma.

Milan lacked a cutting edge before Inzaghi pounced 14 minutes from time, and the expected arrival of Brazilian striker Ronaldo from Real Madrid this week will no doubt be warmly welcomed by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Despite a limp display at the San Siro, Milan are now only three points adrift of fourth place.

Fiorentina, hampered by a 15-point deduction for their match-fixing crimes, came from behind to beat Livorno 2-1 in a fiercely-contested Tuscan derby.

Reggina boosted their survival hopes with a 2-0 win at Cagliari, while two late goals from Michele Paolucci gave bottom club Ascoli a 2-1 victory at Messina.