Inter Milan clicked ominously into gear ahead of their Champions League trip to Manchester United with an impressive 2-0 victory at Genoa on Saturday.

Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mario Balotelli maintained Inter's seven-point lead at the top of Serie A after Juventus won 1-0 at Torino in the Turin derby.

Inter played like a Jose Mourinho team, full of power, commitment, organisation and a little swagger too.

The only negatives for Mourinho were injuries to centre-backs Marco Materazzi and Nicolas Burdisso who both left the game during the first period.

That, and United's impressive showing in beating Fulham in the FA Cup, will be Mourinho's two main worries ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last 16 clash at Old Trafford which is finely balanced at 0-0 after the first leg.

This win was the perfect response to Inter's midweek 3-0 Coppa Italia defeat to Sampdoria.

"What happened against Sampdoria was due to individual mistakes, which can happen in football," said Mourinho.

"Tonight we played with great spirit. After losing Materazzi and Burdisso we had some problems with our formation. Ibrahimovic wanted to come off but other players like Balotelli were fantastic. They weren't easy opponents."

Inter got off to a wonderful start with Dejan Stankovic playing in Ibrahimovic in the second minute and the big Sweden forward holding off two challenges before chipping Genoa goalkeeper Rubinho.

Genoa had a real go at Inter in the first 45 minutes and Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar twice had to save the champions with excellent stops from Thiago Motta and Giuseppe Biava.

Any chance the hosts had of getting back into this game ended just past the hour mark as teenage forward Balotelli added the second, although there was a doubt as to whether or not the ball actually crossed the line.

Juventus toiled for long periods against their city rivals in a game that was dominated by good goalkeeping until Giorgio Chiellini's 81st minute winner.

Matteo Sereni made a diving one-handed save from Vicenzo Iaquinta early on while Torino's Roberto Stellone headed over the bar from six yards.

Juve's Gianluigi Buffon then dived full length to hold a Simone Barone header before Sereni saved Iaquinta's header on the line.

After the break Juve almost took the lead as Sereni beat out a Chiellini header before Hasan Salihamidzic hit the post with the follow up.

But nine minutes from time Chiellini headed home Pavel Nedved's free-kick to the relief of Juve coach Claudio Ranieri.

"I think we deserved the win, we know every match is tough and a derby even more so," he said.

"Now it's time to think about Chelsea (who Juve face in the Champions League on Tuesday) with the right mindset.

"We know they're the favourites but we hope to get at least one goal which will at least get us to extra time (Juve trail 1-0 from the first leg)."

Earlier, 10-man AS Roma missed the chance to move into the top four as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Udinese.

They are now level on 45 points with Genoa but crucially one point behind fourth-placed Fiorentina, who host Palermo on Sunday.

Brazilian Felipe had given Udinese the lead nine minutes into the second period but substitute Mirko Vucinic rescued a point for Roma just past the hour mark.

The most controversial moment of the game came right at the end of the first half as Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler burst into the Roma box only for France defender Philippe Mexes to clearly handle the ball.

Only the referee failed to spot the infringement. Justice seemed to be served on 54 minutes when Antonio Di Natale crossed for the unmarked Felipe to score easily with a header at the back post.

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti threw Vucinic into the fray and he ran unchallenged across the Udinese box before shooting home right-footed to restore parity.

Roma finished with 10 men after Daniele De Rossi got his marching orders for arguing with the referee.

AFP

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