Icardi double sends Inter four points clear
Argentinian Mauro Icardi signalled his return to action with a first brace of the season as Inter Milan beat Udinese 4-0 to go four points clear of Fiorentina ahead of key title clashes on Sunday.
Inter travelled north knowing Udinese's last defeat at their refurbished Friuli stadium had come nearly three months ago, in a 3-2 reverse to city rivals AC Milan.
But Roberto Mancini's visitors turned on the style to register their biggest win this season and maintain their bid for a first scudetto since their treble-winning season in 2010.
Fiorentina remain second but are now four points adrift ahead of a difficult trip to champions Juventus on Sunday when Napoli, in third at five points adrift, welcome Roma.
Roma are in fourth place but now eight points adrift with a one-point lead on Juve.
Icardi sat on the bench for last week's win at home to Genoa and had been left out of the squad altogether two weeks ago when Inter suffered a 2-1 defeat at Napoli.
But he took just 23 minutes to break the deadlock after a lightning start by the visitors that saw Stevan Jovetic come close to a seventh minute opener only to see Orestis Karnezis somehow get his leg to his low drive.
Before then, Udinese spurned several chances in a lively opening.
Veteran striker Antonio Di Natale, rumoured to be playing his last home game for the club as he ponders retirement, fired over Samir Handanovic's crossbar on 12 minutes.
Handanovic parried Cyril Thereau's angled drive, while a Di Natale free kick inched wide of the upright.
But the hosts paid for a series of defensive blunders, one of which gave Icardi time to pick his spot before beating Karnezis at the keeper's far post on 23 minutes.
Jovetic doubled Inter's lead minutes later when he pounced on a disastrous back pass attempt by Maurizio Domizzi to run in and chip the helpless Karnezis.
Thereau fired over on 35 minutes as the unmarked Di Natale screamed for service and then had the ball in the net just four minutes after the restart only for his deflected shot from distance to be ruled offside.
Udinese battled throughout the second half but Inter were unstoppable.
Adem Ljajic hit just wide on the hour when Icardi headed Ivan Perisic's cross into the Serbian's path, while at the other end Manuel Iturra was just off target after Handanovic had got low to push Widmer's weighted delivery into his path.
A Francesco Lodi blunder saw Icardi pounce to beat Karnezis for his brace six minutes from time with a superb strike.
Ljajic made way for Marcelo Brozovic on 87 minutes and the Croatian seized the day when he cut inside to beat Karnezis with a powerful dipping drive at his far post.
Elsewhere, Palermo rallied behind under-fire coach Davide Ballardini with a 4-1 win at home to Frosinone that moved the Sicilians four points clear of the drop zone.
Meanwhile, the pressure grew on coach Gian Piero Gasperini as 10-man Genoa suffered a third consecutive defeat when a last-gap Luca Rossettini header handed Bologna a precious 1-0 away win at the Luigi Ferraris.
Genoa, who saw Diego Perotti red-carded 10 minutes from time, are now just two points above third-from-bottom Frosinone ahead of their trip to Roma next weekend.
Bologna have won four, drawn one and lost one game since former Parma coach Roberto Donadoni replaced Delio Rossi at the end of October and are five points clear of Frosinone.
Photo Credits : AFP