Inter Milan moved a step closer to retaining their Serie A title after they won 2-1 at struggling Ascoli and second-placed Roma were held to a goalless draw at Fiorentina on Sunday.
The results saw Inter stretch their lead at the top of the table to 18 points with just 10 games left to play.
Ascoli held the champions for 65 minutes before Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice -- both of them set up by second-half substitute Adriano -- to take his goal-tally for the season to 15.
The deadlock was broken when Adriano crossed from the right and Ibrahimovic buried a volley into the bottom corner.
Ibrahimovic doubled Inter's lead in the 73rd minute with a low, left-footed shot after Adriano's robust run.
Massimo Bonanni scored a late goal for Ascoli, slotting home a penalty in the third of four minutes added on after Walter Samuel had fouled Sasa Bjelanovic.
Inter's Portuguese winger Luis Figo, who had to wear a bandage around his head in the second half after a clash of heads, said the three points made up for the injury.
"It was a hard blow, but the important thing was that I managed to continue and that we got an important result for the Scudetto," he told SKY Italia.
Inter have 76 points from their 28 matches played, followed by Roma on 58 points.
Roma's trip to Florence was short of goals, but there was no lack of action.
Fiorentina defender Dario Dainelli was sent off in the 32nd minute for two yellow cards before Roma winger Mancini had a goal disallowed.
Despite playing with 10 men, Fiorentina came closest to sneaking all three points when Manuel Pasqual's curling free-kick hit the post in the second half.
Lazio climbed above Palermo into third place after winning 3-1 at home to Empoli. The Rome club's sixth straight win left them on 49 points, two ahead of Palermo.
AC Milan are four points behind Palermo in fifth place after edging Atalanta 1-0 at the San Siro.
Chievo, Reggina and Parma all boosted their hopes of avoiding the drop to Serie B with priceless wins.
Chievo defeated fellow strugglers Cagliari 2-0, Reggina thrashed Catania 4-1 and Claudio Ranieri celebrated his first victory since taking over as Parma coach in a 1-0 win against Siena.
Success for the relegation-threatened trio was bad news for Messina, the Sicilian side losing 3-0 at home to Torino and falling into the drop zone.
Udinese ended a run of six matches without a win by thumping Livorno 4-0.
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