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AC Milan closer to title as Bari drop out of Serie A

AC Milan striker Robinho slots the winning goal past Brescia goalkeeper Michele Arcari on Saturday.
AC Milan striker Robinho slots the winning goal past Brescia goalkeeper Michele Arcari on Saturday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Robinho's late winner puts AC Milan eight points clear with four games to play
  • Five-time defending champions Inter move up to second place with 2-1 win over Lazio
  • Napoli's title hopes suffer another blow with second successive defeat
  • Bari drop down to Serie A following 1-0 defeat by fellow strugglers Sampdoria
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(CNN) -- AC Milan edged closer to a first Italian league title since 2004 after Saturday's 1-0 win at lowly Brescia, whose fellow strugglers Bari dropped into Serie B.

Massimiliano Allegri's Milan, seeking to end years of dominance by Inter and claim an 18th scudetto, moved eight points clear of their city rivals with just four games to play thanks to a late goal from Brazil forward Robinho.

Robinho netted on the counter-attack with eight minutes left after being set up by fellow frontman Antonio Cassano, leaving Brescia second from bottom and likely to follow Bari -- whose fate was sealed by a 1-0 defeat at home to Sampdoria.

Brescia had hit the crossbar through Alessandro Diamanti's free-kick just before that goal, but an 18th defeat in 34 games left the club five points from safety and facing an immediate return to the second division.

Cassano, starting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, had wasted three opportunities to put Milan ahead.

Inter Milan moved up to second place with a 2-1 win over fourth-placed Lazio, bouncing back from last weekend's defeat at Parma which effectively ended the Nerazzurri's five-year title reign. Last season's success under Jose Mourinho was the club's 18th overall.

Inter coach Leonardo saw Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar sent off for bringing down Mauro Zarate in the 22nd minute, and the Argentine striker put the visiting Rome side ahead from the resulting penalty.

However, Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder curled in a trademark free-kick five minutes before halftime and top scorer Samuel Eto'o put Inter ahead eight minutes after the break after a mistake by defender Giuseppe Biava.

Lazio also lost a player in the 66th minute when captain Stefano Mauri was sent off for a foul on Inter's Japan fullback Yuto Nagatomo.

Napoli crashed 2-1 at eighth-placed Palermo despite taking the lead in the second minute with a penalty by striker Edinson Cavani.

The Uruguayan missed a late spot-kick in last weekend's home defeat by Udinese, but was on target this time for his 26th league goal this season to be Serie A's leading scorer alongside Antonio Di Natale.

Palermo, boosted by the 2-2 draw with Milan in the midweek first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal, leveled in the 38th minute as Mattia Cassani made up for his early handball.

Cesare Bovo then fired the winner with a penalty right on halftime after Giulio Migliaccio went down under the challenge of Christian Maggio.

Udinese could have moved into fourth above Lazio, but lost 2-0 at home to Parma in a blow to the club's European hopes.

On-loan Brazilian striker Amauri scored in the 13th and final minutes to lift his side three points above the relegation zone.

Roma retained sixth place with a 1-0 win over Chievo as midfielder Simone Perrotta scored the only goal in the fourth minute.

Seventh-placed Juventus were held 2-2 by Catania in the day's late match after blowing a two-goal lead.

Veteran striker Alessandro del Piero netted twice in the first half, the opener from the penalty spot, but the Sicilians leveled with goals in the last 10 minutes by Argentine Alejandro Gomez and fellow midfielder Francesco Lodi.

The result lifted Catania two points clear of the relegation zone.

Sampdoria moved out of the bottom three on goal difference above Lecce thanks to a 59th-minute winner from striker Nicola Pozzi at Bari.

Lecce lost 4-2 at Genoa despite a first-half double from striker David Di Michele, as on-loan striker Antonio Floro Flores and Argentina international Rodrigo Palacio both scored twice for the 10th-placed home side.

Fiorentina moved up to ninth with a 2-1 win at Cagliari thanks to two goals from midfielder Alessio Cerci, while Cesena moved two points clear of the bottom three with a 2-0 win at Bologna.