By DPA
Milan : Honduras striker David Suazo scored a brace in four minutes helping Inter Milan beat Livorno 2-0 to beef up their lead over second-place Roma in the Italian Serie A.
After Saturday’s win, Inter boast 59 points from 23 games with Roma trailing on 48 ahead of an evening big match away to Juventus, lying third on 44 points. Later in the afternoon, AC Milan drew 0-0 at struggling Parma in a game that saw defender Paolo Maldini come on in the second half to play his 1,000th official game.
The disappointing draw pushed Milan level on 38 points with Fiorentina, who host Catania Sunday and may move alone to fourth place to secure the last of four Champions League berths.
This season’s Champions League resumes with its knock-out phase next week, with Inter and Milan playing away to English sides Liverpool and Arsenal, respectively, while Roma host Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Livorno played their second game this week at the Giuseppe Meazza, where Wednesday they forced Milan to come from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw.
This time, though, the struggling Tuscany guests managed to curb Inter’s massive pressure only until the 14th minute, when they paid dearly for a hesitation that allowed an undisturbed Suazo to nod home a free kick from Romanian Cristian Chivu.
In the 18th minute, the fast striker doubled up to notch his seventh goal this season with an easy flick as two Livorno defenders hampered each other inside the goal area.
Suazo and Argentina’s Hernan Crespo, who filled in up front for Julio Cruz and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, came close before the break when they failed to finalize a swift counter attack.
Ibra and Cruz are due back Tuesday when Inter visit Liverpool in a final-16 game of the Champions League.
A slow-paced second half flared up around the hour as Inter defender Nicolas Burdisso headed high a Chivu corner kick, while Alessandro Diamanti curled a nasty free kick that shook the post to the right of Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
On the following action, the Brazilian custodian made a spectacular save to deflect a diving header from Portuguese Da Cruz Vidigal.