ROME, 7 November 2005 — AC Milan crushed Udinese 5-1 to rack up their eighth successive Serie A win but stayed second behind Juventus who enjoyed a smooth 3-0 win over Livorno yesterday.
Juventus now have 30 points from 11 matches, two ahead of Milan and five clear of third-placed Fiorentina who beat Ascoli 2-0.
Elsewhere, Chievo Verona beat Siena 1-0 to climb to fifth on 19 points, one fewer than Inter Milan who drew 0-0 with Lazio on Saturday. AS Roma climbed to sixth with a 2-0 victory over Messina. Champions Juventus were aiming to resume normal service after losing their 100 percent record in the 3-1 defeat to Milan last weekend. Livorno nearly gifted them an early lead, when a poor clearance by defender Fabio Galante dropped kindly for David Trezeguet who volleyed wide.
Trezeguet’s strike partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic also went close, forcing a diving save from Livorno keeper Marco Amelia, but the visitors found their rhythm and wasted a good chance when Diego De Ascentis narrowly failed to make contact with Cristiano Lucarelli’s cross. Livorno’s resistance finally cracked on the hour. Patrick Vieira hoisted a long ball into the area and Ibrahimovic conjured up a spectacular lob-volley over Amelia.
A minute later Trezeguet grabbed Juve’s second, his fifth goal in four matches, with a header from Gianluca Zambrotta’s cross.
Having lost control of the game, Livorno’s players began to lose their discipline. De Ascentis was red-carded for kicking out at Adrian Mutu and Alessandro Del Piero wrapped up the result with a goal on the break in stoppage time.
Milan wasted little time breaking down Udinese, who have now earned just two points in four matches and looked a shadow of the side that finished fourth last season.
Milan took the lead in the 25th minute, when Alberto Gilardino gathered Filippo Inzaghi’s low cross, turned his marker and poked the ball past keeper Gabriele Paoletti.
Inzaghi was instrumental in creating the second goal too, teeing up the ball on the edge of the area for Clarence Seedorf to blast into the bottom corner.
Andrea Pirlo added Milan’s third with a free kick on the stroke of halftime and Gilardino got his second shortly after the restart when Serginho cut the ball across the area at the end of a run down the left.
Udinese striker Vincenzo Iaquinta pulled one back from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Gennaro Gattuso, but Kaka completed the rout 13 minutes from time with a predatory finish after Paoletti failed to hold Serginho’s shot.
Fiorentina took the lead at Ascoli when Tomas Ujfalusi headed home a corner in the first minute.
United End Chelsea Unbeaten Run
In London, Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0 yesterday to end the champions’ 40-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and cut their lead at the top of the standings to six points. Midfielder Darren Fletcher scored the only goal of a good match at Old Trafford, across the city from the ground where Chelsea were last beaten in the league last season by Manchester City on October 16, 2004.
Just past the half hour, Cristiano Ronaldo crossed to the far post from outside the box on the left and Fletcher ghosted in behind the defense and to plant a looping header over keeper Petr Cech and John Terry and just inside the other post.
In an earlier match, James Beattie’s 16th-minute goal gave Everton a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, their first home league victory of the season. Everton climbed two places to 16th, five points and three spots behind Middlesbrough.
Celta in 2-1 Win at Home to Alaves
In Madrid, promoted Celta Vigo notched a 2-1 win at home to struggling Alaves in the Primera Liga yesterday.
A superbly fashioned strike from Uruguayan midfielder Fabian Canobbio and a Jonathan Aspas follow-up after a missed penalty were enough to give the Galicians a victory that pushed them up into second place in the table behind Osasuna.
Javier Aguirre’s side lead the standings on 24 points from 11 games after inflicting a first home defeat of the season on Real Sociedad with a 2-1 win at Anoeta on Saturday, while Celta follow on 20.
Real Betis, who claimed a shock 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League in midweek, were brought back down to earth when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Racing Santander.
Malaga and Deportivo Coruna also shared the points with a 1-1 draw at La Rosaleda, while Sevilla and Atletico Madrid were unable to find the net in an entertaining 0-0 draw at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
Hartson Scores 100th Goal
In Glasgow, Wales striker John Hartson scored his 100th goal for Celtic yesterday to help propel his side to the top of the Scottish Premier League after a comfortable 3-0 win over Falkirk.
Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady scored two first-half goals in as many minutes with Hartson grabbing the third in the 68th minute. Celtic top the standings on goal difference with 35 points from 14 games, the same as Hearts who won 3-0 at home to Dundee United on Saturday.
Champions Rangers are fourth after a scoreless draw at Aberdeen with 23 points from 14 matches. Hibernian are third with 31 from 14.
