MILAN: A two-goal blitz from striker Diego Milito gave Serie A champions Inter Milan an unconvincing 2-1 win at Cagliari on Sunday while AC Milan also struggled to beat Bologna 1-0.
Inter fell behind to Jeda’s first-half penalty after Maicon had been adjudged to push over Alessandro Matri in the box.
Coach Jose Mourinho, who was later sent to the stands for arguing with officials, brought forward Mario Balotelli on at the break to change shape and the move paid dividends, just as it had in the previous weekend’s 2-0 win over Parma.
Good pressure by Samuel Eto’o forced the home defense to give the ball away and Argentina’s Milito ran through to score on 51 minutes before dinking in a second five minutes later following a long ball over the top.
Milito, who signed for Inter in the transfer window following a successful spell last season at Genoa, took his tally to an impressive 28 goals in 35 Serie A appearances.
Inter, who drew 0-0 with holders Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, are third in the table on 10 points.
Leaders Juventus made it four wins from four in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Livorno and Sampdoria joined them at the top after securing maximum points from the first four games of the season for the first time with a 4-1 thrashing of Siena. Clarence Seedorf, playing in place of ‘flu victim Ronaldinho, netted a classy goal in the second half to hand Milan victory but visitors Bologna had chances to snatch a draw at the end.
Seedorf won the ball on the edge of his own box and, despite Bologna appeals for a foul, he laid the ball off to Massimo Ambrosini and charged up field. Ambrosini found the Dutchman with an intelligent pass and Seedorf cut through a weak defense to score from close range.
Substitute Filippo Inzaghi, who replaced the ineffective Klaas Jan Huntelaar, hit the post late on but the Rossoneri remain a work in progress after an inconsistent start to the season.
Genoa, who like city rivals Samp were going for a fourth straight win, lost their 100 percent record in a 3-1 defeat at Chievo.
Ronaldo double leads
Real to 5-0 rout of Xerez
In Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Real Madrid to a 5-0 win over La Liga new boys Xerez at the Bernabeu on Sunday.
The Portuguese winger netted the opener inside the first minute with a searing run and shot and Xerez, in their first top-flight campaign, must have feared the worst.
But the floodgates remained stubbornly closed until the last 15 minutes when Ronaldo, Guti, Karim Benzema and Ruud van Nistelrooy netted in quick succession to settle a restless home crowd. Real moved ahead of champions Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao on goal difference at the top of the standings with three wins from three.
Barca hammered Atletico Madrid 5-2 on Saturday and Bilbao overcame Villarreal 3-2 earlier in the day. Spain striker Fernando Llorente nodded in Bilbao’s opener and fired in a second off the post before the break at San Mames. He was only denied a hat-trick by acrobatic saves from Diego Lopez in the visitors’ goal.
Owen hits last-gasp
United winner
Substitute Michael Owen struck in the sixth minute of stoppage-time to earn Manchester United a 4-3 Premier League win over Manchester City in one of the all-time great derby matches on Sunday.
United led three times through Wayne Rooney and two Darren Fletcher headers and City fought back on each occasion with a goal from Gareth Barry and two from Craig Bellamy, the second coming in the final minute of normal time.
The day’s big London derby was not quite so dramatic as Chelsea made it six league wins out of six with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur who have lost two in a row after winning their first four.
Louis Saha scored twice as Everton beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 and Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Fulham 2-1.
The results left Chelsea clear at the top with a maximum 18 points. Manchester United have 15 with City, who had won their first four league games, on 12 alongside Liverpool, Spurs and Aston Villa.
