By DPA
Milan : Inter Milan hammered Torino 4-0 to widen their lead in the Serie A football tournament as second-place Roma were held to a 1-1 draw at Livorno.
After 15 Serie A games, Inter lead on 37 points after the win Sunday, with Roma trailing on 32 and third-place Juventus lying eight points from the top after a late 1-0 win over guests Atalanta.
Inter struggled in the first half against a well-organized Torino, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic seemed to play below par. But the Swede still scored on 37 minutes when Gianluca Comotto floored him in the area, and he rose to convert from the spot for a nine-goal tally.
Booing from Inter fans for a seeming lack of grit subsided after the break as Julio Cruz headed home a Cristian Chivu cross and Luis Jimenez on 52 minutes slammed home a drive that secured victory for the title holders.
Torino missed a consolation goal when Cesare Natali nodded against the bar and were beaten again from a Ramiro Cordoba header.
“I don’t think that a five-point lead is safe because we are not yet halfway through the league,” Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. “Each game can be a problem and cause a loss of points, so you have to constantly show concentration.”
In Livorno, Roma’s Daniele De Rossi nodded home a corner kick on five minutes for a lead, which was promptly levelled by Spaniard Diego Tristan with a low drive by the far post.
Roma had other chances after the break as Brazilian defender Juan nodded against the bar and Marco Amelia blocked a good shot from De Rossi.
“It is a little frustrating to fight against Inter because they are a team of champions,” said De Rossi. “They always win.”
Among the weekend winners was Udinese striker Fabio Quagliarella, who scored a brace against his former team Sampdoria in a 3-2 home win.
Udinese lie now fourth on 28 points, four clear of Fiorentina, who lost 2-0 Saturday at Palermo after Lazio beat Catania 2-0.
Young Empoli striker Nicola Pozzi scored all the goals as Empoli hammered Cagliari 4-1, leaving them at the bottom along with Reggina, who did not play their home game with AC Milan as the Devils are playing the Club World Cup.
Liechtenstein’s Mario Frick also shone, scoring a brace for Siena in a 3-1 win at Genoa, while promoted Napoli beat Parma 1-0 late Sunday, moving into joint-sixth position with Atalanta and Palermo on 21 points.