Leaders Inter Milan have cruised past Genoa 3-0 before cross-town rivals AC Milan won 2-1 in a classic at Roma to stay four-points behind in the battle for Serie A supremacy.
Nerazzurri ace Romelu Lukaku needed just 32 seconds to open the scoring, striking clinically past Mattia Perin.
After the break, the in-form Lukaku set up fullback Matteo Darmian for Inter’s second in the 69th and also played a part 10 minutes later when substitute Alexis Sanchez sealed the result.
“We played against team in great form, who had made two points less than us in (the last seven( games,” Inter coach Antonio Conte stated.
“It shows that we did really well today… The team is improving as a group and individually, but we know that there are still 14 games to go.”
It was Genoa’s first league defeat since early January and left them 13th, eight points above the drop zone.
Inter are the league’s deadliest in attack with 60 goals – Lukaku is one behind 19-goal top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
In Rome, Milan’s Franck Kessie converted a penalty late in the first half after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Simon Kjaer threatened for the dominating Rossoneri.
However, Roma leveled through Jordan Veretout on 50 minutes.
Milan were not to be denied though and Ante Rebic restored Milan’s lead in the 58th with an impressive effort into the far bottom corner, before joining Ibrahimovic on the bench as both exited with muscular injuries.
Roma remain fifth.
Atalanta sit fourth, 10 points off the top, after winning 2-0 at Sampdoria thanks to smashing drives from Ruslan Malinovskyi and Robin Gosens.
The Bergamo side, who had coach Gian Piero Gasperini suspended, moved level on points with third-place champions Juventus, who have a game in hand.
Sampdoria stay 10th.
“It was an important to win… We are now in a good position,” Gasperini said.
Sixth-place Napoli stayed three points back by beating guests Benevento 2-0 in a regional derby.
Dries Mertens opened the scoring on his return from ankle injury and Matteo Politano scored in the second half before his teammate Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off 10 minutes from time.
Udinese defeated Fiorentina 1-0 while Cagliari had Charalampos Lykogiannis dismissed but still accounted for bottom side Crotone 2-0 to snap a 16-game winless streak in all competitions.
