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Vieira helps Inter Milan stay ahead of AS Roma in Serie A

Inter Milan's Hernan Crespo eyes the ball during their Serie A match against Palermo at San Siro Stadium in Milan on Sunday. PHOTO: AFP

Inter Milan beat Palermo 2-1 on Sunday to maintain their six-point lead in Serie A, with Patrick Vieira scoring his first goal of the season.

Vieira headed in a soft pass from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the fifth minute. Palermo equalized in the 25th after an own-goal by Inter defender Marco Materazzi, but Luis Antonio Jimenez scored the winning goal in the 36th.

Inter leads the league with 67 points. AS Roma, which defeated AC Milan 2-1 on Saturday, has 61. Juventus, in third place with 54 points, beat visiting Napoli 1-0.

Inter went through a turbulent week in which the team was knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool. Immediately after that game, coach Roberto Mancini said he would resign at the end of the season, a pledge he rescinded the following day after meeting with Inter owner Massimo Moratti.

"We got three very important points today, maybe the most important of the season," Mancini said. "They are key points because they come after what happened this week and after Roma's victory yesterday."

Ibrahimovic assisted on Inter's first goal but the Sweden striker, who has 15 goals in Serie A this season, has failed to score since Jan. 20.

"Let's hope the attackers get out of their rut and begin scoring from the next game," Mancini said.

Juventus got a goal againbst Napoli from substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta in the 88th minute in Turin. The hosts had more chances, but had been unable to score until Iaquinta took a pass from Alessandro Del Piero and beat Napoli goalkeeper Matteo Gianello with a low shot from inside the area.

Napoli has been inconsistent this season, and two weeks ago handed Inter its first league defeat of the season.

Also on Sunday, it was: Fiorentina 3, Genoa 1; Atalanta 4, Empoli 1; Udinese 2, Lazio 2; Cagliari 3, Torino 0; Reggina 4, Siena 0; and Sampdoria 3, Catania 1.
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