Serie A wrap: Milan go further in front

Milan moved further ahead at the top of the Serie A table with a 1-0 win at home to Fiorentina on Saturday, while Roma beat Udinese 2-0.

An acrobatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike was enough to send Massimiliano Allegri’s side four points clear of second-placed Lazio, who visit Parma on Sunday.

Visitors Fiorentina were not without chances at the San Siro, as first Gaetano D’Agostino and then Adam Ljajic went close.

Clarence Seedorf might have opened the scoring for Milan with a low drive 30 minutes in, before Ibrahimovic produced a moment of audacious skill to break the deadlock just before the half-time whistle.

The Swedish international took possession inside the Fiorentina box and juggled the ball with his back to goal before guiding an overhead kick past Artur Boruc and into the net.

Centreback Alessandro Nesta should have made it 2-0 from a free header 11 minutes into the second half and Ljajic nearly snatched a point for the visitors late on, but he shot directly at Christian Abbiati in the Milan goal.

Fiorentina finished the match with 10 men after Denmark international Per Koldrup received two bookings in quick succession, the first for a foul and the second for dissent.

Roma moved third in the table following their 2-0 win at home to Udinese, although they can be replaced by any of Napoli, Juventus and Inter Milan – all of whom play on Sunday.

Leaving their slow start to the season well and truly behind them, Roma have now won five of their last seven after goals from France international Jeremy Menez and Italy forward Marco Borriello secured the points.

Maurizio Domizzi and Antonio Floro Flores both went close as the visitors enjoyed the best chances of the opening exchanges at the Stadio Olimpico, before Roma came to life.

Menez put the home side in front in spectacular fashion, collecting the ball just inside the opposition half and beating two men before cutting inside and curling a shot beyond Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Borriello doubled the lead four minutes before the hour mark when he held off Domizzi inside the box to slot a low strike beyond the keeper and into the net.

The only downside for Roma boss Claudio Ranieiri was the late sending off of key Argentine centre-back Nicolas Burdisso.