Inter bounce back with Palermo win

Inter Milan restored their six-point gap at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 victory over Palermo at the San Siro on Sunday. It was only Inter's second victory in their last seven matches and will go some way to boosting their self-belief following a series of poor results, including home and away defeats to Liverpool in the Champions League.
AS Roma had piled on the pressure with their brilliant come-from-behind 2-1 home victory over AC Milan on Saturday night, but Inter found the response they were looking for with goals from Patrick Vieira and Luis Jimenez.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini was relieved to see his side finally get back on track and blunt a little of the momentum Roma have built up in recent weeks.
"These are three very important points, of course, after everything that has happened the last week and after Roma's victory last night," Mancini told Sky TV.
"We played a great first half, we should have scored more than the two goals.
"In the second half we were a bit less clinical. These are the kind of games that if you don't put them to bed, they become difficult."
Vieira gave Inter a dream start after only five minutes. He played a one-two with Zlatan Ibrahimovic who returned a perfect lob into the box, allowing the France captain to run on and head home past Alberto Fontana in the Palermo goal.
Vieira almost added a second with a sumptuous curling shot that thudded the bar and bounced down for Jimenez to head home, only for that strike to be ruled out for offside.
Palermo hit back on 25 minutes through an own goal from Marco Materazzi. Fabrizio Miccoli thumped a shot from distance that Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar fumbled into the path of his compatriot Simplicio.
The attacking midfielder hit his shot against the goalkeeper's knee but the ball cannoned off Materazzi's chest and dribbled over the line. Parity did not last long as Jimenez got his name on the scoresheet on 36 minutes.
Brazilian Maicon made a marauding run from right back into the box and then passed to Jimenez who turned his marker and fired home low to Fontana's right. Inter came closest to adding another goal after the break but Fontana denied Ibrahimovic from close range and substitute Luis Figo dragged a cross-shot wide of the far post.