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Inter Milan snatch sole possession of Italian league lead

Inter Milan beat 10-man AS Roma 4-1 on Saturday to take sole possession of the Italian league lead.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a penalty for his league-leading seventh goal in the 29th minute after Roma midfielder Ludovic Giuly was red-carded for a handball.

After Simone Perrotta equalized for Roma in the 53rd, Inter took control with goals from Hernan Crespo, Julio Ricardo Cruz and Ivan Cordoba.

Also, Pablo Osvaldo scored twice in his Serie A debut as Fiorentina beat 10-man Livorno 3-0 in a Tuscan derby to move into second place.

Inter lead with 14 points. Fiorentina are next with 12 and Roma have 11. Winless Livorno are last with two points.

Inter ran away with the title last season but had a slow start to this campaign, drawing twice in Serie A and losing to Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

The Nerazzurri are now in form, coupling this win with Wednesday's rout of Sampdoria at the Stadio Guiseppe Meazza.

"We showed what the real Inter is," Cruz said. "Last year we won the title deservedly. Now we want to win again. We know we're a strong squad."

Roma had a perfect start with three wins but have now drawn twice and lost once in their last three games. The schedule doesn't get any easier for Roma, who renew their rivalry with Manchester United in the Champions League tomorrow.

"We can't keep the disappointment of this game inside us," coach Luciano Spalletti said. "We've got to bounce back."

Inter will try to improve their European standing against PSV Eindhoven tomorrow.

Roma started with a flourish but Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar made successive saves against Francesco Totti and Amantino Mancini in the second minute.

In the 22nd, Cesar again thwarted Mancini.

Six minutes later, Inter defender Maxwell intercepted a Roma corner and began a counterattack that resulted in a four-on-two opportunity. Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni stopped a shot by Cesar but was left out of position for Ibrahimovic's header off the rebound, forcing Giuly to stop the ball with his hand.

Ibrahimovic calmly converted the penalty low into the corner.

In the 48th, Ibrahimovic fell over Roma defender Juan and was carted off the field holding his left ankle. Inter midfielder Olivier Dacourt was also injured, and Cruz and Crespo came on.

Inter made a defensive error in the 53rd and Perrotta found himself with the ball in the center of the area for his first goal of the season.

In the 57th, Crespo converted a volley off a rebound of a shot by Esteban Cambiasso.

Cruz added another in the 60th with a shot from beyond the area and Cordoba concluded the scoring in the 68th with a header off a cross from Luis Figo.

Spalletti removed Totti for Mauro Esposito in the 76th, hoping to preserve his captain for Manchester United.

In Livorno, the 21-year-old Osvaldo connected on a volley off a cross from fellow Argentinian Mario Santana for his first goal in the 45th. Then in the 67th, he controlled the ball with his chest before chipping in.

"I really can't ask for more," Osvaldo said.

Osvaldo wears No. 9, the jersey former Argentinian great Gabriel Batistuta had when he played for Fiorentina.
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